There are three primary attributes, and three defensive attributes. The primary attributes are:

• Physical: How physically capable is the character? Are they strong, agile and physically robust?

• Social: How socially able is the character? Are they naturally charismatic, is their appearance appealing to others and are they easily able to manipulate others?

• Mental: How strong is the character’s mental acuity? Do they have good senses, are they able to act instinctively in the moment, and are they clever and able to remember a great deal - and also apply it?

Attributes are broad indicators rather than narrow and the game focuses on characters who can exceed mortal limits rather than only match them. Therefore, attribute levels represent the following approximate levels of ability.

• ⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪ - Average Human: the character can learn to be good at specific things but has no natural aptitude for this area or is held back by a need to make up for some deficit. For example, they can understand their task but get lost when considering the wider context or become tired if they push the pace for long.

• ⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪ - Competent Human: the character has enough of an aptitude that others consider them good at a broad area of things. For example, they might have been the smart one or athletic one growing up.

• ⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪ - Exceptional Human: the character displays an aptitude that places them above all but a few mundane humans. For example, they are considered one of the wisest people in the city or can arm-wrestle two veterans at once and win.

• ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪ - More than Human: the character possesses an aptitude beyond what mundane humans could achieve, even with natural aptitude and a lifetime of training. For example, they are a once-in-ten-generations hero prophesied to rise at the moment of their people’s greatest need.

• ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ - Openly Supernatural: the character possesses an aptitude that is not merely beyond what mundane humans can achieve but beyond their ability to properly comprehend. For example, they are the child of a mortal and a god.

While Physical, Social and Mental will typically be used as proactive or aggressive attributes, they are also used to form secondary derived attributes which are used defensively where the use of a skill would not address the matter. These defensive attributes are:

• Willpower (Social + Mental): This is your character’s combined ego and id, their force of will and ability to resist any who would seek to assault their mind. This is also used for checks like waking up from Torpor, and whether Tolls improve or degrade.

• Reaction (Physical + Mental): This is your character’s ability to see, process and react to the world around them, from dodging attacks or avoiding explosions to saving themselves from falling off a cliff or being pushed off a moving carriage. This is also used for Initiative in combat.

• Resolve (Physical + Social): This is your character’s social composure, their ability to maintain social awareness and control, and resist making a social faux pas or letting their beast take control. This is also used for checks like resisting Frenzy and Rötschreck.

Not all characters are the same. Two characters might have the same physical rating, but one of them is more dexterous, while the other is stronger. In order to express these differences between each character’s attributes, you may pick a single specialism for each attribute at character generation to indicate where your character is strongest.

• Physical Specialisms: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Reaction

• Social Specialisms: Charisma, Appearance, Manipulation, Resolve

• Mental Specialisms: Intelligence, Perception, Wits, Willpower

A specialism allows you to gain a +1 bonus to your rating when the check your character is making is appropriate for a relevant specialism.  

Attribute specialisms do not apply for the combined defensive attributes (Willpower etc.) unless you have the specific defensive specialism. Merits and Flaws may allow players to choose multiple specialisms for one attribute, or to have none in some areas if desired.

Specialisms do stack with each other, if they are from different sources. A character who has the physical specialism ‘Dexterity’ and a merit such as ‘Slippery Customer’ which provides a specialism bonus when using active defence in combat, would be able to use both in appropriate situations.

Skills are indicators of ability in a narrow area. While the game focuses on characters who can exceed mortal limits rather than only match them, supernatural power or millenia of study cannot change the bounds of what is theoretically possible. Therefore, skill levels represent the following approximate levels of ability:

• ⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪ - Conscious Incompetence: the character knows there is much they do not know. For example, that carpentry uses more than one kind of nail, or that law is not just telling people you did the right thing.

• ⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪ - Solid Worker: the character can make an honest living working for others. For example, they use broad-headed nails for a task because their first master trained them that way, or know how to claim the benefit of clergy but not when it is a good or bad idea.

• ⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪ - Skilled: the character can make a good living working for themself. For example, they can choose the right nail for the job, or can win because their opponent’s case is weak rather than theirs is strong.

• ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪ - Renowned: the character is sought out for their work. For example, they can make furniture that is as beautiful as it is functional or can win a case against the King and keep his favour.

• ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ - Master: the main reason that the character is not famous throughout the land is that the true quality of their work is too subtle to be noticed unless it is pointed out. For example, if there are three identical chairs then people will pick the one that the character made, or legal scholars don’t discuss the character’s cases because they turn on unique circumstances rather than universal principles.

Below is a complete list of all the relevant skills available to characters. Where a skill refers to ‘at higher levels’, this is classed as 3+. Skills do not have specialisms, but if the attribute being used in a skill check has an appropriate specialism, this can be used.

Academics - Primary Attribute: Mental

“Ah but you see, I have studied the works of Heraclitus AND Thales. Fire or Water, my unlearned friend?”

This skill represents a well-rounded knowledge of the humanities as they exist at this point in time; literature, history, religion, the arts, philosophy and other soft sciences, as well as capability with pursuits requiring a studious mind and well-practised habit of absorbing book learning.

This skill is also the key skill for Road of Bones.

Animal Ken - Primary Attributes: Social, Mental

“Good girl! Who’s a good vole? Now go and tear out the throat of that human, he’s annoying me.”

This skill is used both for understanding the natural inclinations, needs and instincts of animals, and for handling and training them to behave in a desired fashion. Although it does not allow direct communication with animals (for that you’ll need something like Animalism), it does guide the use of body language and other appropriate behaviours to do things like befriend, intimidate or scare an animal.

Athletics - Primary Attribute: Physical

“Running, jumping, climbing trees? Let’s swim along the Danube for a mile and see who is fastest.”

This skill is used for most feats of physical prowess outside of combat, and can be used to contribute to active defence within combat.

Brawl - Primary Attribute: Physical

“Swords are so impersonal. I like to feel my opponent’s flesh rip when I claw them.”

This skill is used for unarmed combat, including with fangs, claws and other natural weapons.

Craft - see Skills with Multiple Fields

Composition - see Skills with Multiple Fields

Empathy - Primary Attributes: Social, Mental

“Tell me how you really feel about Jurgen stealing your ghoul. Is it an honour? Or are you sad?”

This skill can be used for reading someone’s emotional state through their tone and body language, though the check may be contested if they are trying to hide their feelings. It can also be used to try and manipulate someone’s emotional state through social endeavours, and may help identify when somebody is lying.

This skill is also the key skill for Road of Sin.

Etiquette - Primary Attribute: Social

“Make sure you bow precisely like this. It’s how the Romans did it, and that’s what she prefers.”

This skill is used when trying to make a good impression or fit in amongst a group of people. While it primarily relates to high society or strict social mores from different cultures, at higher levels it can also be used to understand how to act as if you belong in other groups of people who have defined social behaviour, such as beggars or merchants.

Investigation - Primary Attribute: Mental

“The angle of the blood splatter suggests his attacker was about… so tall. And supernaturally strong.”

This skill represents not only a good eye for detail, but the ability to do research, follow leads and put clues together to form coherent and logical theories or explanations.

Larceny - Primary Attributes: Physical, Mental

“Of course I understand the notion of ‘personal property’. If it’s on my person, it is my property.”

Picking pockets, picking locks, it’s all the same to you if you’re skilled with larceny. This also covers sleight of hand, though does not cover sneaking into position to get to what you want in the first place - that comes under Stealth.

Law - Primary Attribute: Mental

“That may be so in your home domain, but in our Prince’s court, murder is legal.”

This skill covers not only knowledge of mortal laws as they pertain to various professions and classes of people, but also an understanding of Kindred law in different domains and under different rulers, and how best to interpret or clarify when such is needed.

Leadership - Primary Attribute: Social

“The odds may look slim, but that fortress cannot possibly stand against such fine warriors as you!”

This skill is key for leading or inspiring groups of people. Not only for giving the right orders to achieve the outcome you want, but also for things like bolstering the morale of those following you.

This skill is also the key skill for Road of Kings.

Lore - see Skills with Multiple Fields

Linguistics - Primary Attribute: Social, Mental

“When you say Greek do you mean Ancient Greek, or Byzantine, Mycenaean, or Koine Greek?”

This skill is used most often to try and recognise a language being spoken, or identify or decipher something written in another language. In this system it also provides additional languages per rank; see the wider Linguistics write-up for more details.

Medicine - Primary Attribute: Mental

“Normally I might recommend leeches to balance his humours, but.. well, he’s all out of sanguine.”

This skill covers such knowledge of mortal anatomy and medicine as exists in this day and age. The four humours, application of herbs and poultices, the making of tinctures and how to apply leeches without shuddering, that sort of thing. It does not cover supernatural physiology, that would come under Occult or Lore.

Melee - Primary Attribute: Physical

“A duel, then. Swords at sunset, and my Pressburg steel will see your throat slit.”

The pointy end goes into the other guy, if there is a pointy end at all. This skill covers all close range weapons such as swords, stakes, mauls, spears, flails, and whatever ridiculous contraption the Italians have come up with lately.

It does not include natural weapons, those come under Brawl. It also does not cover throwing a weapon, that comes under Ranged.

Occult - Primary Attribute: Mental

“It couldn’t possibly have been a fae, there’s too much iron around. A sorcerer, on the other hand…”

This skill represents a general knowledge of the supernatural. As part of Kindred society you will naturally know more about Vampires and Ghouls, but a general grounding in other supernatural races is covered at higher levels.

For specialist knowledge beyond what can be known from myths and common hearth wisdom, you’ll need Lore for the appropriate race.

This skill is also the key skill for Road of the Dark Mother.

Performance - see Skills with Multiple Fields

Persuasion - Primary Attribute: Social

“I know I’m asking a lot, but if you could lend me the use of your herd just for a night or two…”

This skill is used to subtly bring somebody around to your way of thinking, both on an individual level and potentially to influence a faction you have contact with.

In session, Persuasion should not be used between players as this should be resolved through RP. NPCs or STs may ask for Persuasion checks in session at appropriate moments. However, the main use of this skill will be during DT.

Perception - Primary Attribute: Mental

“Oh you think you’re so sneaky, lurking in the ancient oak tree. But I spy with my little eye…”

This skill represents awareness of your surroundings. It does not relate purely to the mundane; someone with knowledge of the supernatural may also notice things relevant to their areas of study. As such, in some cases it may allow knowing when a supernatural power has been used if the character was in a position to witness it, and recognises the power in question. This skill does not grant extra-sensory perception however; if the character cannot perceive the power normally (or with something like Auspex), this skill will not reveal anything further.

Politics - Primary Attributes: Social, Mental

“If you mention it near Jurgen, he’ll feel he must act to pacify his Sire, and your hands remain clean…”

This skill represents a working knowledge of who is who amongst mortals and Kindred and how they got to where they are, but also some understanding of how they might be dealt with or influenced.

Profession- see Skills with Multiple Fields

Ranged - Primary Attribute: Physical

“Bows. Such a fun invention. For when you want to impale someone who is sixty feet away.”

This skill covers ranged weaponry such as bows (and when they are invented, guns), but also any weapon that is thrown, whether intended for throwing or not. Ranged attacks may be complicated by things like cover and line of sight.

Ride/Drive - Primary Attribute: Physical

“One horse is good, but a matched quartet drawing a modern sun-proofed carriage? Pure luxury.”

This skill covers both riding a horse and driving a carriage. This skill also allows you to calm your beast long enough to be able to approach and ride a mount or drive a carriage, but if this control slips the animal(s) may react poorly if not trained properly. This skill does not cover taming or training horses, or knowing how to look after them; that would come under Animal Ken or a relevant Profession.

Science- see Skills with Multiple Fields

Seneschal - Primary Attributes: Social, Mental

“I think the farms over the river can stand a little extra tax now to benefit their roads later.”

This skill represents not only a good understanding of finance, but also the management of Assets, lands and people to ensure prosperity - or at least what effect a given law or levy might have on them - and when to apply the carrot rather than the stick for best results.

This skill is also the key skill for Road of Service.

Stealth - Primary Attribute: Physical

“Now you see me, now you don’t. Or hear me, for that matter. I am the night.”

This skill covers hiding, sneaking, moving quietly and generally being a sneaky bastard. It cannot provide hiding places where none exist, but someone skilled at stealth can make the most of whatever the terrain or structure provides in the way of cover.

Streetwise - Primary Attributes: Social, Mental

“Boden won’t be happy to find your victim on his turf. But he can be handled if you know his vices.”

Covering both mortal and Kindred machinations of the underworld kind, this skill is essential for things like understanding less-than-legal business taking place, knowing who might be amenable to a bribe, recognising territorial marks from different gangs or societies, and moving within those waters without ending up as yet another floating corpse in the Danube.

Subterfuge - Primary Attribute: Social

“Of course I love you. Why else would I be here if not to spend time with my heart’s desire?”

This is the skill for lying through your little fangs, and doing so believably. And also at higher levels for perhaps recognising when you are being lied to.

Survival - Primary Attributes: Physical, Mental

“I know of a deep cave nearby that we can spend the day in. You’re good at climbing, right?”

This skill covers an understanding of the natural world, both in terms of terrain and plant life. Things like how to move quickly through forests and over mountains, where one might find a cave to shelter in during the day, and what kind of plant to rub on oneself to avoid being tracked by wolves. It does not cover the medicinal use of herbs - that comes under Medicine.

This skill is also the key skill for Road of the Beast.

Technology - Primary Attribute: Mental

“Technology is the horse pulling the overladen cart of change.”

Gold-lead thread, Grenades, Sundials, the Longbow. All mighty inventions of the last few years. Technology is the ever changing tools used by Humanity to claim the world, and this skill represents understanding it well enough to know when to use it - and perhaps more importantly, when not to.

In future eras this may well be a Multiple-Field skill, but currently technology is limited. Examples of the kind of technology this covers includes: Alchemy, Animal Husbandry, Carts, Clockwork (c. 14th Century), Horticulture, Inventor, Metalwork, Toolsmith, Traps

Some skills have too large a range of areas to be covered with a single stat. These include Craft, Composition, Lore, Profession, Performance and Science.

There are a lot of transferable skills within these areas. Therefore, while it will be necessary to choose a Primary field of knowledge to start with, as the character’s skill grows they will be able to pick Secondary and Tertiary fields within the chosen skill at 3 dots and 5 dots, and additional fields beyond this with a one-off XP expenditure.

• Example: Jurgen is a skilled crafter, and has Craft: Blacksmith as his primary. When he reaches 3 dots in this craft, he can take a secondary area for free at 1 dot. He chooses Craft: Pottery. As he increases his skill in the primary, his skill in the secondary also increases. When the primary is at 5 dots, the secondary will be at 3 dots, and he can then take a tertiary at 1 dot. He chooses Craft: Weaving.

  He is able to improve his ability in his secondary and tertiary fields by upgrading them to secondary or primary fields and may buy additional crafts as desired for a one-off XP cost but these will start as tertiary fields and will need to be upgraded to secondary or primary with additional XP.

Craft - Primary Attribute: Physical

“Tools do not a craftsman make. But they help.”

Creating complex goods from simpler materials, a competant craftsperson can earn a good wage through their skill, either on behalf of a patron or selling their goods via merchants. This skill can also cover physical forms of art.

Examples: Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Brewing, Carpentry, Chandlery, Clothmaking (e.g. weaving and dying), Cooking, Glassworking, Leatherworking, Mosaic, Muralmaking, Painting, Paperworking (e.g. fabrication, bookbinding), Pottery, Sculpting, Stoneworking, Tailoring

Composition - Primary Attributes: Social, Mental

“Composition, to me, is about thinking with my fingers and the tip of my quill.”

The art of writing things down, often overlooked as a skill but key in a time when the written word is often just as weighty as the spoken—if not moreso. Somebody skilled with composition is an asset to their master. At high levels of skill and with appropriate resources, they may even be able to forge documents they have a skill in.

Examples: Bookkeeping, Legal Documents, Military Reports, Music, Novels, Poetry

Lore - Primary Attribute: Mental

"All things under Heaven are known. The trick is finding the ones who know."

Distinct from general Academic study, Lore represents a wealth of carefully gathered knowledge upon a niche topic for which books and manuscripts generally don’t exist - or if they do, are very hard to come by.

• Lore (Theology) is the key skill for Road of Heaven.

• Lore (Vampires) is the key skill for Road of Metamorphosis.

Examples: Werewolves, Fae, Sorcerers, Uses of Vitae, Blood Sorcery, The Inner Workings of the Teutonic Knights (or any other faction for that matter)

Profession - Primary Attributes: Any, depending on the Profession

“Never do anything that you are good at for free.”

A profession groups an array of abilities specific to a given line of work, and allows the professional person to earn a good wage performing those skills in this way.

Examples: Architect, Builder, Cartographer, Cartwright, Cobbler, Farmer, Fisher, Gravedigger, Soldier, Helmsperson (includes navigation), Hunter, Innkeeper, Lumberjack, Merchant, Miner, Ostler, Physician, Servant, Shipwright.

Performance - Primary Attributes: Physical, Social

“Performance is a way of making one’s soul visible, just for a few moments.”

The ability to dance, sing or hold an audience's attention through the beauty of one's words. This allows a person to earn a living via the arts.

Examples: Acrobat, Actor, Dancer, Drummer, Fire-breather, Minstrel, Mountebank, Orator, Poet, Proselytiser, Singer, Storyteller, Troubadour

Science - Primary Attribute: Mental

"Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding."

A form of thought of growing prominence, seeking to explain the world through repeatable, measurable results. Often misidentified as heretics or godless heathens by the church, it is a dangerous time to be a student of the Sciences.

Examples: Alchemy, Natural Philosophy, Mathematics, Philosophy

The Difference between a Craft and a Profession

A profession covers a multitude of skills, but only as they relate to that job. For example someone with Profession: Shipwright knows how to build or repair the hull of a boat, but does not have the broader experience needed to perform other types of carpentry with confidence. However, they would also be able to make the ship watertight, build and fit all the necessary components such as sails, oars or rudders, and ensure it is seaworthy.

A craft covers a specific kind of creation, such as Carpentry or Brewing. A carpenter might be able to contribute his skill to the wooden components required for building a boat, but lacks the specialised knowledge for making a seaworthy craft, the right textiles to use for sails, how to fit a rudder, etc. Similarly, while a shipwright may be able to construct a whole ship, they would not be able to apply their knowledge to building a log cabin or fancy cabinet in the way a carpenter can.

Linguistics is another area with a wide scope. It is required that your character speaks High German* - no Kindred or Ghoul would attend such meetings as these without being at least conversationally fluent in the dominant language used - so we do not require you to buy this, however if you wish your character to be fluent in any other language, including any from their home region, these must be purchased.

It is assumed that any language your character understands, they can also read and write. Flaws can be taken for illiteracy if desired, but otherwise it is assumed that all kindred can read and write despite the normal mortal illiteracy levels in the era.

Each level of Linguistics will provide a number of additional languages based on the table below. These are cumulative, so somebody with Linguistics 3 would have High German plus six other languages. It is not necessary to define all the languages your character can speak, you can keep some language slots open in case your character needs to learn a new language later on. You do need to have chosen at least half of your character’s available languages, and learning new languages can only be done over the course of a downtime within your downtime submission, it is not possible to choose new languages at sessions.

The list of languages used in our game can be found here.

⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ - No Additional Languages, your character only speaks and understands High German.

⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪ - One additional Language (High German + one other)

⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪ - Two additional Languages (High German + three others)

⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪ - Three additional Languages (High German + six others)

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪ - Four additional Languages (High German + ten others)

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ - Two additional Languages (High German + fifteen others)

* For the scholars amongst you, yes we know there were a lot of languages and dialects in use in the area at the time, however for ease we are keeping to one dominant language for use in sessions.