Step Four: Assign Initial Attributes
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Step Four: Assign Initial Attributes
Attributes quantify a character’s innate strengths and weaknesses. Depending upon how a player allocates her starting dots, the character might be strong and perceptive, quick and intelligent, or witty and beautiful, based on whether the character has high Physical, Social, or Mental attributes.
A character should also be weak in some attributes. Creating a character who is an imperfect individual makes her more realistic, and gives the character weaknesses that she can overcome during the course of the chronicle. Moments of growth are good for a protagonist, and raising an attribute can be a wonderful reward after a tense moment in the story. It could indicate that the character learned from her experiences, growing wiser, stronger, or more capable of surviving in a dangerous social setting.
Most characters have attribute ratings between 3 (poor) and 5 (average), though exceptionally gifted individuals may have ratings of 7 (excellent) or even 10 (peak human capacity). As vampires are supernatural creatures, their players receive bonus points that they can add to their potential attribute maximums. The number of points a vampire character receives in this manner varies according to her Generation, reflecting the potency of the vampire’s blood.
Assigning Starting Points to Attributes
To assign points in attributes during character creation, you must first rank your character’s attributes. Decide which of the three attributes (Physical, Social, and Mental) are important, making one primary, one secondary, and the last tertiary according to your vision for the character. A boxer would likely have a primary Physical attribute, where an artist might place the Social attribute first, and so on.
• Assign 7 dots to an attribute, indicating that this is your character’s strongest, or primary, attribute.
• Assign 5 dots to a second attribute, indicating that this is your character’s average, or secondary, attribute.
• Assign 3 dots to the last attribute, indicating that this is your character’s weakest, or tertiary, attribute.
Physical Attributes
Physical attributes measure your character’s general strength, agility, and stamina. A character with modest Physical attributes is not very athletic, while a character with high Physical attributes is exceptionally strong, dexterous, or tough. Vampires may expend Blood points to supernaturally augment their Physical (and only their Physical) attributes for a short time.
Physical Attribute Example: Vincent the Nosferatu is fighting a mortal vampire hunter. Depending upon Vincent’s attribute level, his Physical focus, and his ranks in an appropriate skill, he might fight in different ways. If he has focused in Strength, he might try grappling his enemy. If he has focused in Dexterity, he might attempt to shoot the hunter. If he has focused in Stamina, he might try to resist attacks long enough for him to escape.
Social Attributes
Kindred are manipulative creatures, using humans (and one another) as building blocks in their attempts to advance personal schemes. Social attributes describe a character’s appearance, charm, and ability to interact with others. If your character has few Social attributes, she is awkward, shy, or just plain-looking. A character with a high rating in her Social attribute is attractive, compelling, and smooth, more capable of convincing others to do as she desires.
Social Attribute Example: Rose the Toreador needs to find a way to get past the bouncers at the most popular nightclub in town: a socially oriented challenge. Depending upon her attribute level, her Social focus, and her ranks in an appropriate skill, Rose can attempt this in a variety of ways. She might flirt with the bouncers, relying on her Appearance focus and the Performance skill. If she has focused in Charisma, she might charm the bouncers with her ready Wit, using her Empathy to figure out what they want to hear. If Rose has focused in Manipulation, she might try to convince the bouncers that she’s part of the band playing that night, using her Subterfuge to make the lies as believable as possible.
Mental Attributes
Mental attributes indicate a character’s aptitude for problem-solving, learning, deduction, and general alertness. A character with high Mental attributes is attentive, logical, or intuitive. On the other hand, if a character has low Mental attributes, she is not as capable. Such a character may be poorly educated, naive, or mentally slow.
Mental Attribute Example: Nixx the Tremere is investigating a crime scene, hoping to find clues as to the identity of a clever thief who broke into the chantry. Depending upon his attribute level, his Mental focus, and his ranks in an appropriate skill, Nixx can go about his investigation using a number of different methods. He might studiously look around the room, using his Perception focus and the Investigation skill to notice if anything is out of place. If he has focused in Wits, Nixx might use his Academics skill to remember everything that was in the room and see if he can tell what’s missing. If Nixx has focused in Intelligence, he might utilize his Science: Forensics skill and check the room for fingerprints, hair follicles, or other evidence.
Attribute Focuses
Once you have assigned your initial attribute dots, you must then select one focus for each attribute. Each attribute has three focus options. These focuses will help you further define your character and provide benefits when the character utilizes her area of expertise. For example, a boxer might choose to take the Physical attribute focus for Strength, and an artist might choose the Social attribute focus for Charisma.
An attribute focus provides a bonus during challenges involving that attribute, so long as the character’s action falls within the focus’s description.
Carefully consider which focus you will choose for each attribute. Once you are finished with character creation, changing your focus requires you to spend 10 XP.
Optional Rule: Storytellers may allow new or inexperienced players to change their focuses within the first three games if they feel that the player honestly made a mistake or misunderstood the system.
Physical Focuses
The three Physical focuses are Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina.
• A Strength-focused character is vigorous and muscular. Once per combat, such characters may use one Strength-based combat maneuver without cost (Disarm, Grapple, Knock Down, or Pierce the Heart).
• A Dexterity-focused character is quick and nimble. Once per combat, such characters may use one Dexterity-based combat maneuver without cost (Burst of Speed, Disarm, Fighting Blind, or Quick Draw).
• A Stamina-focused character is tough and robust. Such characters do not suffer wound penalties. In addition, such characters cannot be Knocked Out or Knocked Down by a combat maneuver unless the attacker has a higher Physical attribute than your character.
Social Focuses
The three Social focuses are Charisma, Manipulation, and Appearance.
Social powers often give special benefits for a character with a specific focus.
When making a non-power-based challenge that relates to your character’s Social focus, the Storyteller may choose to award you a +3 bonus to that challenge. Alternately, when your character is attempting a non-power-based focus-related action that requires a significant investment of time, such as sweet-talking all the lawyers in town, your Storyteller may halve the time needed for your character to perform the action.
Mental Focuses
The three Mental focuses are Perception, Intelligence, and Wits.
Mental powers often give special benefits for a character with a specific focus.
When making a non-power-based challenge that relates to your character’s Mental focus, the Storyteller may choose to award you a +3 bonus to that challenge. Alternately, when your character is attempting a non-power-based focus-related action that requires a significant investment of time, such as translating an ancient text into English, your Storyteller may halve the time needed for your character to perform the action.
