Vampires in Vampire: The Masquerade exists inside the World of Darkness. Unfortunately, this darker TTRPG setting puts Vampires in the same world as Werewolves, Mages, Hunters, and other supernatural creatures in a world where conspiracies and evils lurk in almost any corner. In turn, Vampires only survive if they remain on top of their game at all times. However, this requirement means Vampires need to use their skillsets to navigate today's harsh Kindred society and the World of Darkness as a whole.
Thankfully, Kindred in the TTRPG (and in the Bloodlines 2 game adaptation) not only have their Disciplines or vampiric gifts to use in the game world. Rather, Vampires also possess a straightforward set of Skills that reflect their skills before and after their transformation. However, which Skills should Kindred prioritize? Moreover, are there bad Skills that might lead them to their unfortunate Final Death?
Updated on September 16, 2023 by Rhenn Taguiam: While the new trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 showcases the many different powers a Kindred can access through Disciplines, a Vampire also boasts an immortality to learn and improve skills they can access in their human bodies. Taking the form of Skills in the Vampire: The Masquerade TTRPG, players who want their characters to excel as Kindred should take note of which Skills to prioritize in their playthroughs. Skills that Kindred should possess to survive the modern nights include the ability to encourage others to do their bidding, blend in with their environment, deceive people they interact with, gleam insights from situations, and even make meaningful inferences from the extended study of their surroundings.
15 Animal Ken
Animals often communicate in ways others don't easily comprehend. Thankfully, Animal Ken (Social) enables Vampires to "understand" how animals behave and act. In turn, Vampires can tame the angriest of dogs or the wildest of bears. Moreover, other Vampires may even befriend the most loyal dogs of a powerful NPC.
However, unlike other Social Skills, Animal Ken might not be as beneficial in the context of the World of Darkness. Remember, animals aren't always everywhere. Moreover, it's much easier for new players to converse with other people instead of interpreting what other animals want to do.
14 Crafts
Most broken things just need a bit of repair to get going. A Kindred with Crafts (Mental) has knowledge pertaining to the repair, crafting, and construction of various objects. That way, they're always the go-to person for repairs. Essentially, nothing really remains "useless" in the hands of a Crafts expert.
Unfortunately, there's not much overall use for Crafts in Masquerade. At most, Crafts can help a materials-heavy story with a ton of technical processes involved. Moreover, considering the modern setting of the World of Darkness, players with Experience to use may as well train in Computer instead of Crafts.
13 Drive
Vampires of low status likely work for their Princes as bodyguards, akin to supernatural gangsters and criminals. In turn, these supernatural creatures may still need a getaway driver after a heist or a meeting gone wrong. Thankfully, Drive (Physical) reflects a Kindred's skill in operating vehicles, especially in difficult situations. Theoretically, Drive can settle whether a motorcycle can get under that passing truck a la action movie, or if the Camarilla will have to clean up a dead body.
However, if players do it right, there may not even be a need to invest in Drive at all in a Masquerade game. There won't be a lot of instances where players get inside vehicles with too much pressure to demand reliance on the Drive Skill. Instead of Drive, players might want to consider Athletics, Stealth, or Larceny. Remember, escaping as a single person is much easier than escaping in a large vehicle.
12 Academics
Courtesy of their immortality, Vampires often come across knowledge that would otherwise categorize them as "intellectuals." In turn, new Kindred feel like they can "fit" in if they're knowledgeable in the arts and humanities, too. Thankfully, some Vampires sire Kindred with existing fascination to humanities, courtesy of the Academics (Mental) Skill. In turn, these Kindred intellectuals can keep up with conversations and discourse on various topics.
Unfortunately, players who want to make more "practical" Masquerade characters might want to stay away from Academics even if they are using their Kindred Disciplines. Granted, in a real-world setting, a lot of people likely possess a number of Academics dots. However, the knowledge gleamed here in the World of Darkness might not be as useful considering the complexity of Kindred society.
11 Science
Science is real, magic and spells aren't. Sometimes, people just have a knack for the sciences - Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and the works. Vampires who sired people of intellectual backgrounds often have Science (Mental) dots, reflecting on their innate knowledge of the physical and natural sciences. In turn, some Kindred circles have their fair share of physicists, chemists, and even meteorologists.
Interestingly, players might find ways to use Science to their advantage. A drug supplier turned Vampire likely has an innate knowledge of chemistry under Science, for instance. However, unlike other knowledge Skills, players might not find a lot of practical uses for Science compared to, say, Medicine or Computer.
10 Occult
In the World of Darkness, Vampires have more than their fellow Kindred and other Vampire Clans to worry about. Unfortunately, the cities they reside in may serve as homes to creatures such as Werewolves, Mages, and Sin-Eaters. Additionally, these creatures also organize into groups that ascribe to their supernatural nature. In turn, Vampires often have to navigate a complex network of traditions and rules that mere textbooks don't have. Unfortunately, the wrong greeting or the wrong gesture can spark conflict between these groups.
Thankfully, Occult (Mental) lets Kindred access whatever repository of knowledge they have should they have to deal with matters of the supernatural. Kindred with dots in Occult can try to elaborate on certain sociocultural norms and events in the context of supernatural creatures. Mechanics-wise, this element allows players to add their dots on Occult in dots in other Skills to glean insights on supernatural-exclusive affairs.
9 Medicine
Despite their immortality, Vampires still have a human body, and therefore share the basic functions of one. Interestingly, Kindred with a keen awareness of biology and anatomy can use this medical knowledge to their advantage – be it through treating others, or skillfully leaving no marks after feeding on a body. Medicine (Mental) reflects a Kindred's familiarity with medical treatments as well as anatomy and physiology, which can become extremely useful in the gritty World of Darkness.
Interestingly, of all knowledge Skills, players would want to invest in Medicine first. Inside combat, players can use Medicine to assess injuries and apply first aid. During roleplaying, investigative players can use Medicine to study crime scenes.
8 Politics
In the World of Darkness, connections are everything. Unlike other TTRPGs that need a great balance between combat and storytelling, Masquerade puts heavy emphasis on establishing relationships with various contacts. In that context, Politics (Mental) will almost always help players see the bigger picture, regardless of who they're dealing with.
Essentially, Politics has everything to do with knowing bureaucratic maneuvers and political processes. A Vampire familiar with Politics can help identify the political implications of words and actions. Granted, not all things NPCs say in the game have an agenda behind them; however, a Kindred should at least know how their actions can affect other powerful Vampires, directly or indirectly, before deciding whether to do something for an NPC.
7 Streetwise
Since organized Kindred factions such as the Camarilla operate inside cities, it helps if Vampires protected by these groups know exactly where they're living. Thankfully, Kindred with a knack for street smarts likely has access to the Streetwise (Social) Skill. Essentially, this Skill allows Vampires to navigate and gather intel inside urban environments. In turn, Kindred with decent Streetwise know which alleys to hide in, where certain people most likely stay, and the difference between casual get-togethers and a drug drop.
Interestingly, the highly urbanized nature of most Masquerade games almost always rely on city travel. In turn, Kindred with Streetwise can better navigate the streets in both a physical and figurative sense. That way, Kindred can easily identify suspicious individuals in crowds or even explore with greater efficiency.
6 Persuasion
A Kindred needs to be as charming as they are menacing, with even a horrific Nosferatu possessing the knowledge on how to turn a dire situation in their favor. Mechanics-wise, the TTRPG uses Persuasion (Social) as a means to sway others to follow their suggestions. Thanks to Persuasion, a Kindred can become the equivalent of a Bard in Dungeons & Dragons, albeit without the spells and more of the rizz.
Among the existing Skills in Vampire: The Masquerade, Persuasion remains an essential component in a Vampire’s arsenal, especially in Kindred society where politicking is expected. Having even a dot or two in Persuasion gives a Vampire an edge when convincing others of their points, which can be very useful in negotiations.
5 Stealth
Not every session will present Kindreds with a need to act like Solid Snake, but Vampires need to at least remain unnoticed whenever they stalk their prey for Vitae or other needs. Through Stealth (Physical), a Kindred becomes capable of masking their movement, be it via crouching or sneaking about, using the shadows, or even hiding in plain sight.
Although Vampires who want to adapt to the modern era need to be able to talk their way out of things, hiding physically is a surefire way of survival in emergency situations. Investing in Stealth allows players to mask their presence even without Disciplines such as Obfuscate, allowing them to hide from threats as well.
4 Subterfuge
With a Kindred’s survival in modern times hinging on how well they “mingle” with others to hide their true motives, Subterfuge (Social) becomes an essential component in any Vampire’s arsenal. Symbolized as one’s capacity to navigate social situations with subtlety, Subterfuge helps a Vampire slip their way past interrogations, convince a mortal to believe them, or lie to a fellow Kindred through the skin of their teeth.
New players unfamiliar with Vampire: The Masquerade abilities who hope to survive their first nights need to invest in Subterfuge, especially since not all Kindred they meet will have their best interests in mind. This is similar to the Deception Skill in Dungeons & Dragons. Having the ability to lie or deceive to protect one’s intentions and trade information through social banter could improve a Vampire’s chances of survival against threats both mortal and supernatural.
3 Insight
Newcomers to the story of Vampire: The Masquerade need to pay closer attention to how their characters talk to NPCs, especially with the way other Kindred converse with them. As with other RPGs, a mere statement could give players a lot of revelations about a situation, with Insight (Social) being the technical Skill that embodies this ability.
Compared to other Social Skills in Vampire: The Masquerade, a few dots in Insight could give Kindred a lot of room to read cues that others won’t necessarily spot, especially in conversations. Even if they have low dots in other Social Skills, Insight may be all a Vampire needs to detect whether something’s amiss, if a contact is hiding something, or if there’s something being said between the lines throughout a conversation.
2 Awareness
Mental Skills in Vampire: The Masquerade reflect all sources of information a Kindred across all Clans can access throughout their unlife, with most inclusions involving the humanities (Academics), business and politics (Finance, Politics), and even supernatural events (Occult). However, among the Mental Skills that involve using said knowledge (Awareness, Investigation), perhaps Awareness (Mental) has the most practical use in various situations.
Whereas Investigation involves the ability to find and decipher clues from the environment over an extended period of time, Awareness involves much faster situations. Thanks to Awareness, Vampires can identify, assess, and react to threats much faster and avoid unnecessary surprises. Should newcomers choose between Awareness and Investigation, they could leave the in-depth thinking to the veterans and ensure they’re able to react to their advice more efficiently.
1 Empathy
Unfortunately, not everyone has the capacity to understand other people's emotional states. In Kindred society, those who do possess dots in Empathy (Social). Thanks to Empathy, Kindred can pierce the veil of communication to understand key points that point towards viewpoints and emotions others don't always show. In turn, Empathy in Masquerade serves as Insight in Dungeons & Dragons.
Granted, other Social Skills such as Subterfuge, Socialize, Persuasion, Intimidation, and Expression can help any Kindred in their socialization. However, Empathy becomes the rope that binds everything together. Without Empathy, players might have a harder time understanding the real intentions behind an NPC's Social check.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is slated for a 2024 release.