Page 47 - World of Darkness

Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Your character is completely
Skill-Based Perception blindsided. The Storyteller may decree that she cannot
act and loses her Defense for the first two turns of any
During the course of play, you will be called fight that ensues.
upon frequently to roll dice to see if your char- Failure: Your character notices nothing amiss and is
acter notices something in her vicinity, or that caught off guard.
some detail is unusual. The Storyteller can al- Success: Initiative may be rolled normally and your
ways ask you to roll Wits + Composure to see character can attack or defend herself without hindrance.
if your character is aware of her surroundings, Exceptional Success: Your character spots trouble or
but there are other options. Perhaps more in- simply senses imminent danger — and can announce it
dicative of your character’s life experience and to any companions. None of her companions is caught off
training is combining Wits + a relevant Skill to guard (all of their Wits + Composure rolls are considered
determine if your character spots something successful).
amiss. It could be Wits + Survival to realize that Suggested Equipment: Hopped-up on caffeine (+1),
a predatory animal lurks nearby in the woods. amphetamines (+2) or methamphetamines (+3)
Or it might be Wits + Academics to notice that Possible Penalties: Dark (-3), obscuring weather (-1
the books on a shelf aren’t arranged alphabeti- to -3), distracting circumstances (-1 to -3), attacker at
cally, but by date of publication. Sure, Wits + long range (-3), presumed safe environment (-1 to -2)
Composure might accomplish the same result,
but if your character has some capability with a
Skill that’s more reliable than her Composure Resolve
alone, the Storyteller might allow you to roll Josh only really came to his senses when he threw up in
Wits plus that Skill, instead. the toilet. He had been conscious the whole time, he knew,
As a general rule of thumb, the highest of but it was like he’d been in a daze, walking around like a
Composure or the Skill is rolled along with Wits. zombie. He thought back to how it all happened. He’d left
While the stalked character in the example above his apartment a few hours ago to run errands. It was a nice
might be a novice woodsman (Survival 1), he enough day for winter. He’d gotten some groceries, and
could still have decent Composure (say, 3). The then…
latter of the two is rolled because the character’s
inherent senses and alertness compensate for All he could remember was a blur. Something was
his green status in the wilds. there. Big. Strange. He remembered eyes, like an animal’s.
Bear in mind that dots in some Skills or un- They stared straight into his soul in a weird, almost primitive
der some circumstances simply don’t matter, and way. It was like his lizard brain kicked in and told him to run
Wits + Composure always applies. For example, and hide, like a rabbit under the shadow of a hawk.
if a gun lies in the corner of a room, having the Josh had a fleeting glimpse of the oranges he’d just bought
Firearms Skill doesn’t help spot it. Anyone who rolling across the sidewalk, and then all he knew was being
gets a successful Wits + Composure can see it. back in his apartment, getting sick. How did he get there? Why
The Storyteller always has final say on did he come back? How come he couldn’t remember? And what
whether a Skill can be combined with Wits to was that thing?
make a perception roll, or if Composure applies. Josh wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t content to let it go, either.
The focus and determination to see your character’s
will done. The capacity to stay on target, ignore distrac-
Reaction to Surprise tions and to resist coercion or browbeating. Resolve is your
character’s mental fortitude. His personal conviction. His
Dice Pool: Wits + Composure clarity of vision or spirit. Your character may be easily dis-
Action: Reflexive
An ambush is about to be launched, a trap is about to tracted, unable to concentrate, resolute or single-minded.
be sprung or your character is about to run into her enemy. The trait is pivotal to resisting supernatural forms of men-
She may recognize the threat in time or walk right into it. tal control; it acts as a veritable defense of the mind. Re-
solve is valuable to leaders, motivators, soldiers, athletes,
Roll Wits + Composure for your character to determine if
she’s prepared for the worst. Even one success indicates that police and organizers.
(Note: Resolve is not to be confused with Willpower.
she is and you can roll Initiative (see p. 151) for a fight as
usual. If your Wits + Composure roll fails, your character is Resolve is your character’s ongoing focus. Think of it as
his long-term purpose, like a career plan. Willpower re-
caught off guard and can do nothing for the first turn of
combat except stand and gape or get hurt. Her Defense is flects your character’s short-term highs and lows, his abil-
ity to dedicate himself in brief efforts to overcome chal-
not applied against incoming attacks in that first turn. For
more information, see “Surprise” on p. 151. lenges. Resolve does contribute to your character’s Will-
power dots, though — see p. 95.)

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Chapter 2- ATTRIBUTES