Abilities are the particular bits of knowledge learned over the years, tricks of the trade and the hard-won secrets of craft. Abilities reflect a character's special training or talents. As such, they often allow a character to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult (or virtually impossible). Even in more everyday situations, Abilities give a character a greater chance of success over an unskilled character. Check out our House Rules (especially the Quick Recap of Challenges for more on how you can use Abilities. You can select five Abilities for you character to start off with.

What follows is a listing of all the allowable Abilities that are available to all characters and a (very) brief description of the Ability. (Please note that this includes Abilities listed in the Laws of the Night: Camarilla Guide and Laws of the Night: Sabbat Guide; we are allowing players to choose those Abilities as well.) Before we list all the Abilities, however, there are two things that have to be pointed out about abilities....

• Focusing Abilities: Certain Abilities require a specific, concentrated area of study, For example, a character with the Performance Ability could not be gifted in all areas of Performance at once. The listing of Abilities will indicate with Abilities require these forms of concentration. If you select such an Ability, you must also select an area of concentration. Each concentration is considered a different Ability, so that Performance: Acting counts separately from Performance: Singing.
• Ability Specialization: You can, if you desire, specialize in a particular Ability. This is similar to choosing a concentrated area of study (above), but can be done for any Ability, even ones that require a concentration. Check out our House Rules for more on what it means to specialize in an Ability. Just remember that you can only have one specialization for each Ability, and taking a specialization costs the same as taking an Ability normally does. So, for instance, if a character wants to have both the Firearms Ability and then the specialization of Rifles within the Ability, that would be considered two out of the five Abilities that character could start with.

The List of Abilities....

• Academics - This Ability indicates that a character has a level of education and knowledge beyond basic schooling. You can concentrate this ability further (into such things as Art Criticism or Classical Studies, for instance), but you do not have to.
• Animal Ken - This Ability indicates that a character has learned to overcome animals' fear of Kindred, allowing them to train animals or just simply understand their behavior.
• Athletics - This Ability shows that a character is skilled in a variety of athletic endeavors. You can focus this ability into specific areas of sport or skill, but it is not mandatory.
• Awareness - This Ability shows that a character has a talent for knowing when "things just aren't right." This is more of a passive Ability than an active one.
• Blindfighting - This Ability indicates that a character has developed the skill of fighting without sight, using instinct, hearing and other skills instead. This Ability can be used for brawling in total darkness or blindfolded.
• Brawl - This Ability reflects a character's talent for hand-to-hand or unarmed fighting. This Ability also reflects knowledge of Martial Arts, which are considered concentrations of the Brawling Ability.
• Computer - This Ability reflects a character's skill at hacking, altering data, writing programs or figuring out unfamiliar operating systems. You can still use a computer without this Ability, but not very well.
• Crafts - This Ability can be used for a number of things. This Ability can indicate how well a character can build things, such as tools or furniture or decorations. Additionally, this Ability can cover more technical skills done with physical labor, such as mechanical or electrical repair. Finally, this Ability can also indicate how well a character can create physical artworks, such as paintings or sculptures. (Incidentally, artworks created with Crafts x3 have the potential to entrance Toreadors, as per their Clan Weakness.) Due to the wide variety of possible uses for this Ability, you must concentrate on a specific area (such as Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Drawing, Electronics, Leatherworking, Mechanics, Painting or Sculpting). Please note that Crafts concentrates on the creation of physical objects, while Performance generally covers things done before an audience, and Expression focuses on mostly literary works.
• Dodge - This Ability reflects how well a character can get out of the way of an attack that they are aware of (like ducking for cover when being shot at or twisting out of the way of a blade).
• Drive - This Ability reflects your character's skill in driving. It's pretty self-explanatory.
• Empathy - This Ability indicates how sensitive to other's moods and emotions a character is. This Ability can also be used to determine if the last thing a person said to you was a lie. Alternatively, a character can discover someone's current Demeanor with this Ability.
• Etiquette - This Ability reflects a character's skill at the "social graces," those things that Miss Manners spends hours writing about. This Ability can also be used to cancel a character's faux pas.
• Expression - This Ability reflects a character's skill at articulating thoughts, emotions and ideas through writing, whether they write poetry, fiction, dramatics or symphonies. You must select a specific area of concentration when taking this Ability. (Incidentally, works created with Expression x3 have the potential to entrance Toreadors, as per their Clan Weakness.) Please note that Expression focuses on mostly literary works, while Performance generally covers things done before an audience, and Crafts concentrates on the creation of physical objects.
• Finance - This Ability indicates a character's skill at understanding and manipulating the world of money, business, stock markets, CDs, GNPs, money exchanges and so on. In addition to balancing books, running businesses, following money trails and the like, you can use this Ability to generate petty cash quickly.
• Firearms - This Ability reflects a character's talent using guns. If you possess this Ability, you can, if you wish, use your Mental Traits (instead of Physical Traits) in gun combat.
• Fortune-Telling - This Ability indicates that a character has some skill in predicting the future, or at least acting like they can predict the future. You must specify your divination method (tea leaves, Tarot cards, I Ching, coin flipping, entrails, etc.) when taking this Ability.
• Hobby/Professional/Expert Ability - This Ability is a catch-all category for highly unusual Ability or Abilities not covered by any other Ability in this listing. Any Ability of this type (like Lores, for instance) needs to be approved by the Storyteller.
• Hunting - This Ability indicates a character's skill at stalking and bringing down prey, in any terrain, for any purpose. This can be used to trail wild game in the wilderness, or to pursue Kine in the cities without breaking the Masquerade.
• Intimidation - This Ability gauges a character's skill at terrifying people into compliance.
• Investigation - This Ability indicates a character's skill at putting clues and disparate pieces of information into a singular, unified whole, discovering all sorts of information from otherwise chaotic situations.
• Law - This Ability allows a character to understand legal process, courts and lawyers, allowing the character to use them to their advantage. You can concentrate on a single legal arena (such as Criminal, Civil, Kindred or Tax) when taking this Ability.
• Leadership - This Ability represents a character's skill at motivating people and getting others to follow your guidance.
• Linguistics - This Ability indicates that a character knows more languages than their native tongue. Each level of this Ability indicates possession of another language, as each language is an area of concentration.
• Medicine - This Ability reflects a character's knowledge of the human body and how it functions. You can use this Ability to both harm and heal mortals. This Ability can also be used to other sorts of research and lab work. You can select further areas of concentration, such as Pharmaceuticals, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and so forth, if you choose.
• Melee - This Ability reflects a character's talent for fighting with hand-held weapons (but obviously not guns).
• Occult - This Ability indicates a character's general knowledge of the supernatural. This does not necessarily give people knowledge about specific supernatural things or beings; such knowledge would be the purview of a Hobby/Professional/Expert Ability.
• Performance - This Ability reflects a character's gift for artistic endeavors such as acting, singing, dancing or playing an instrument. You must select a specific area of concentration when taking this Ability. (Incidentally, works enacted with Performance x3 have the potential to entrance Toreadors, as per their Clan Weakness.) Please note that Performance generally covers things done before an audience, while Expression focuses on mostly literary works, and Crafts concentrates on the creation of physical objects.
• Politics - This Ability reflects a character's skill in manipulating local politics, discern hidden motives, broker deals, understanding bureaucratic levels of power, figuring out the hierarchies of power and to cut through red tape.
• Psychology - This Ability reflects a character's knowledge of psychology, both in theory and in practice. This Ability can be used to learn another person's Demeanor, Nature or Derangements, with enough time and effort.
• Repair - This Ability indicates that a character has a working understanding of what makes items tick. It allows people to fix, alter or sabotage the technological trappings of modern society
• Science - This Ability reflects a character's understanding of the methodology and reasoning of modern scientific thought. While the Ability can be used to reflect a general knowledge of science, it can also be concentrated into further areas of study, such as Anthropology, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Mathematics, Metallurgy, Physics, Quantum Physics and Zoology among others.
• Scrounge - This Ability reflects a character's skill in finding stuff, be it obscure mechanical parts, invitations to exclusive clubs, drugs, first-class airplane tickets, prostitutes, obscure video tapes, haven space and the like.
• Security - This Ability indicates that a character has some knowledge of police operations, guard work, locks, traps, alarms and security systems. Therefore, a character with this Ability can both set up and circumvent secure areas and networks.
• Stealth - This Ability indicates that a character is skilled at evading notice, sneaking past people and security, taking advantage of cover and using light and shadows to hide.
• Streetwise - This Ability reflects a character's knowledge of what's happening in the "street scene," finding out the word on the street, figuring things out about criminal organizations and activities, and determining the influence of and influencing various gangs or street communities.
• Subterfuge - This Ability indicates that a character is skilled in using and noticing the use of the little white lies that people use in their everyday conversations. This Ability can be used to steer conversations to various topics to learn information (such as Negative Traits) about others and prevent others from doing the same to you.
• Survival - This Ability reflects a character's knowledge of terrain, how to find shelter and other useful things for wilderness existence, far away from the civilized reaches of the cities and suburbs.
• Torture - This Ability reflects a character's skill in inflicting pain on others in order to gain information from others. This Ability cannot be used in conjunction with regular combat.
• Vamp - This Ability indicates that a character has some skill in using seduction to gain information from others. Additionally, this Ability can be used to seduce someone in order to feed.

Disciplines are the mystical and supernatural abilities granted to all Kindred by virtue of the Blood of Caine. These Disciplines grant Kindred exceptional powers - incredible strength, preternatural speed, the ability to hide from sight or other, stranger powers. Each Clan has a group of three Disciplines that are common among its members. You can choose three Basic Disciplines for your character. These Basic Disciplines must be Clan Disciplines. If you are playing a Caitiff character, you may select three "common" Disciplines (Animalism, Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Potence or Presence) as your "clan" Disciplines. If you are playing a Malkavian character, you may choose whether to have Dominate or Dementation as your Clan Discipline - but you must make that choice now.

There are over twenty different Disciplines that Kindred can use. Rather than go into each Discipline in detail, I'm going to play it safe (and try to follow "fair use" guidelines). It is highly recommended that players refer to Laws of the Night - Revised when looking for information about Disciplines; you may also look at the main table-top books, but realize that a good number of Disciplines are re-worked to remove dice mechanics from them and/or make them more "LARP-able." So.... What follows is a basic summary Disciplines as a whole, a brief description of some of the Disciplines, and a listing of their specific levels - minus game mechanics! For game mechanics, please read Laws of the Night - Revised, specifically Chapter Four (entitled, oddly enough, "Disciplines"). You will also want to read our House Rules for notes on where we have modified a few (very few) Disciplines to reflect some changes....

Disciplines, as a whole, are comprised of five distinct powers that work in a similar fashion or perform similar functions. While each distinct power of Obfuscate, might not be the same, they all work to hide characters from the sight of others. Each Discipline has two Basic Levels, two Intermediate Levels, and one Advanced Level. Characters must learn Disciplines in the order of levels; for example, a character must learn both Basic Levels before they can learn the first Intermediate Level of a Discipline. With that out of the way, here is a listing of the Disciplines (as from Laws of the Night - Revised). Please note that we are not listing certain Disciplines, such as Chimestry, Quietus and Obtenebration due to the fact that very few Camarilla Kindred will have access to those powers.... We are listing the Disciplines that your characters will most likely have access to (again, as an attempt to save on space/connect time).

• Animalism - This Discipline deals primarily with mastery over animals at lower levels, while higher levels are mostly concerned with mastery over a Kindred's internal "Beast." The Animal Ken Ability is usually used to gain retests when using this Discipline.
• First Basic Level - Feral Whisphers
• Second Basic Level - Beckoning
• First Intermediate Level - Quell the Beast
• Second Intermediate Level - Subsume the Spirit
• Advanced Level - Drawing out the Beast

• Auspex - This Discipline is used to augment and sharpen a Kindred's sensory talents to incredible levels, allowing a Kindred's perceptive powers to the level where the physical limitations of the body no longer prevent a Kindred from learning and "seeing" things. The Investigation Ability is usually used to gain retests when using this Discipline.
• First Basic Level - Heightened Senses
• Second Basic Level - Aura Perception
• First Intermediate Level - The Spirit's Touch
• Second Intermediate Level - Telepathy
• Advanced Level - Psychic Projection

• Celerity - This potent Discipline creates preternatural speed and reflexes in Kindred when activated. Since Celerity merely grants additional actions or bonuses to speed, it itself does not gain retests with any particular Ability. All actions performed with Celerity are retested as normal. Please be aware that use of this Discipline at higher levels is sometimes considered a breach of the Masquerade.
• First Basic Level - Alacrity
• Second Basic Level - Swiftness
• First Intermediate Level - Rapidity
• Second Intermediate Level - Legerity
• Advanced Level - Fleetness

• Dementation - This Discipline concerns itself mostly with the creation and spreading of madness and insanity. At lower levels it can induce minor changes it personality for limited times, and at higher levels it can completely unhinge the most stable Kindred. This Discipline usually uses the Empathy Ability for retests.
• First Basic Level - Passion
• Second Basic Level - The Haunting
• First Intermediate Level - Eyes of Chaos
• Second Intermediate Level - Voice of Madness
• Advanced Level - Total Insanity

• Dominate - With this Discipline, Kindred can impose their will onto the minds of others, bending minds and controlling actions. This Discipline requires that the Dominator make eye contact with the victim; as long as the victim can see the eyes of the Dominator and hear the commands issued, they can be controlled. This Discipline usually uses the Intimidation Ability to gain retests. Finally, please be aware that a Kindred cannot Dominate a Kindred of a lower Generation.
• First Basic Level - Command
• Second Basic Level - Mesmerism
• First Intermediate Level - Forgetful Mind
• Second Intermediate Level - Conditioning
• Advanced Level - Possession

• Fortitude - This Discipline allows Kindred to "ignore" injury, shrugging off serve wounds at lower levels and resisting fire and sunlight at higher levels. The Survival Ability is usually used to gain retests with this Discipline.
• First Basic Level - Endurance
• Second Basic Level - Mettle
• First Intermediate Level - Resilience
• Second Intermediate Level - Resistance
• Advanced Level - Aegis

• Necromancy - Unlike the other Disciplines, Necromancy is a Discipline that is broken down into several "paths," with each path focusing on one aspect of dealing with ghosts and the dead. Each path has five levels, following the same pattern that the other Disciplines have (2 Basic, 2 Intermediate, 1 Advanced). You must select a Path to be your Primary Path (this primary path is usually The Sepulchre Path). You cannot learn another path until you have at least learned an Intermediate level of your primary path. Even then, you can only learn the Basic levels of any secondary path. Once you have learned the Advanced level of your primary path, you may learn any path to the Advanced levels as well.

Additionally, for each level of Necromancy you know, you can a necromantic ritual of the appropriate level. So, a character with four Basic levels, two Intermediate levels and one Advanced level of Necromancy (all from various paths) would know four Basic Rituals, two Intermediate rituals and one Advanced ritual accordingly. We are not listing all the rituals, as there are tons of them.

• The Sepulchre Path
• First Basic Level - Insight
• Second Basic Level - Summon Soul
• First Intermediate Level - Compel Soul
• Second Intermediate Level - Haunting
• Advanced Level - Torment
• The Ash Path
• First Basic Level - Shroudsight
• Second Basic Level - Lifeless Tongues
• First Intermediate Level - Dead Hand
• Second Intermediate Level - Ex Nihilo
• Advanced Level - Shroud Mastery
• The Bone Path
• First Basic Level - Tremens
• Second Basic Level - Apprentice's Brooms
• First Intermediate Level - Shambling Hordes
• Second Intermediate Level - Soul Stealing
• Advanced Level - Daemonic Possession

• Obfuscate - This Discipline allows Kindred to cloud the minds of people around them, dulling notice and directing attention elsewhere. As a result Kindred using this power are obscured from observation, and can potentially hide other people at higher levels of this power. This Stealth Ability is usually used to gain retests with this Discipline.
• First Basic Level - Cloak of Shadows
• Second Basic Level - Unseen Presence
• First Intermediate Level - Mask of a Thousand Faces
• Second Intermediate Level - Vanish from the Mind's Eye
• Advanced Level - Cloak the Gathering

• Potence - With this Discipline, a Kindred is capable of increasing their strength to inhuman levels, allowing them to break bones, shatter stone, leave finger prints in metal, and so on. Most uses of this strength-enhancing Discipline are considered breaches of the Masquearede. Similar to Celerity, this Discipline does not use any particular Ability for retests aside of the Ability commonly associated with whatever action is being performed.
• First Basic Level - Prowess
• Second Basic Level - Might
• First Intermediate Level - Vigor
• Second Intermediate Level - Intensity
• Advanced Level - Puissance

• Presence - This Discipline, much like Dominate, allows Kindred to control others. However, unlike Dominate, Presence is a much more subtle power, allowing a Kindred to control and affect the emotions of another person instead of the mind. The downside of this power, however, is that it is less predicable than Dominate. The Leadership Ability is usually used for retests with this Discipline.
• First Basic Level - Awe
• Second Basic Level - Dread Gaze
• First Intermediate Level - Entrancement
• Second Intermediate Level - Summon
• Advanced Level - Majesty

• Protean - With this Discipline, a Kindred can alter and metamorph parts of their body (and, in some cases, the entire body). At lower levels, this can allow a Kindred to see in the dark or grow claws, and complete body transformations are possible at higher levels. Retests are not always needed when using Protean, but the Survival Ability can be used if a retest is needed.
• First Basic Level - Eyes of the Beast
• Second Basic Level - Feral Claws
• First Intermediate Level - Earth Meld
• Second Intermediate Level - Shape of the Beast
• Advanced Level - Mist Form

• Thamaturgy - Unlike the other Disciplines, Thamaturgy is a Discipline that is broken down into several "paths," with each path representing one focus of magical study such as blood manipulation, weather control, fire control, so on. Each path has five levels, following the same pattern that the other Disciplines have (2 Basic, 2 Intermediate, 1 Advanced). You must select a Path to be your Primary Path (for most Tremere, this primary path is The Path of Blood). You cannot learn another path until you have at least learned an Intermediate level of your primary path. Even then, you can only learn the Basic levels of any secondary path. Once you have learned the Advanced level of your primary path, you may learn any path to the Advanced levels as well.

Additionally, for each level of Thamaturgy you know, you can a ritual of the appropriate level. So, a character with five Basic levels, three Intermediate levels and one Advanced level of Thamaturgy would know five Basic Rituals, three Intermediate rituals and one Advanced ritual accordingly. We are not listing all the rituals, as there are tons of them. Also, please note that use of Thamaturgy is blatant, obvious, and is usually considered a breach of the Masquerade.

• The Path of Blood
• First Basic Level - A Taste for Blood
• Second Basic Level - Blood Rage
• First Intermediate Level - Blood of Potency
• Second Intermediate Level - Theft of Vitae
• Advanced Level - Cauldron of Blood
• The Lure of Flames
• First Basic Level - Hand of Flame
• Second Basic Level - Flame Bolt
• First Intermediate Level - Wall of Fire
• Second Intermediate Level - Engulf
• Advanced Level - Firestorm
• Movement of the Mind
• First Basic Level - Force Bolt
• Second Basic Level - Manipulate
• First Intermediate Level - Flight
• Second Intermediate Level - Repulse
• Advanced Level - Control
• The Path of Conjuring
• First Basic Level - Summon the Simple Form
• Second Basic Level - Permanency
• First Intermediate Level - Magic of the Smith
• Second Intermediate Level - Reverse Conjuration
• Advanced Level - Power over Life
• The Hands of Destruction
• First Basic Level - Decay
• Second Basic Level - Gnarl Wood
• First Intermediate Level - Acidic Touch
• Second Intermediate Level - Atrophy
• Advanced Level - Turn to Dust
• The Path of Elemental Mastery
• First Basic Level - Elemental Strength
• Second Basic Level - Wooden Tongues
• First Intermediate Level - Animate the Unmoving
• Second Intermediate Level - Elemental Form
• Advanced Level - Summon Elemental
• The Green Path
• First Basic Level - Herbal Wisdom
• Second Basic Level - Speed the Season's Passing
• First Intermediate Level - Dance of Vines
• Second Intermediate Level - Verdant Haven
• Advanced Level - Awaken the Forest Giants
• Neptune's Might
• First Basic Level - Eyes of the Sea
• Second Basic Level - Prison of Water
• First Intermediate Level - Blood to Water
• Second Intermediate Level - Flowing Wall
• Advanced Level - Dehydrate
• The Path of Corruption
• First Basic Level - Contradict
• Second Basic Level - Subvert
• First Intermediate Level - Dissociate
• Second Intermediate Level - Addiction
• Advanced Level - Dependence
• The Path of Technomancy
• First Basic Level - Analyze
• Second Basic Level - Burnout
• First Intermediate Level - Encrypt/Decrypt
• Second Intermediate Level - Remote Access
• Advanced Level - Telecommute
• The Path of Spirit Manipulation
• First Basic Level - Hermetic Sight
• Second Basic Level - Astral Cant
• First Intermediate Level - Voice of Command
• Second Intermediate Level - Entrap Ephemera
• Advanced Level - Duality
• The Path of Weather Control
• First Basic Level - Fog
• Second Basic Level - Rain or Snow
• First Intermediate Level - High Winds
• Second Intermediate Level - Storm
• Advanced Level - Lighting Strike
• The Path of Thamaturgical Countermagic
• First Basic Level - Level 1
• Second Basic Level - Level 2
• First Intermediate Level - Level 3
• Second Intermediate Level - Level 4
• Advanced Level - Level 5

Backgrounds represent ties to a particular agency, organization or resource (whether it be Kindred or Mortal) that your character has. The allowable Backgrounds are Allies, Contacts, Fame, Generation, Herd, Influence, Mentor, Resources, Retainers and Status. Each background is used slightly differently, and is described in greater depth below. You have five Background Traits for your character. You can only have up to five Backgrounds in any one category; Influence is an exception to this, as there is a different limit of the number of influences any one character can have.

• Allies

• Contacts

• Fame

• Generation

• Herd

• Influence

• Mentor

• Resources

• Retainers

• Status