Page 36 - Chronicles of Darkness

rivals off each other. A character with this knowledge
may have run for office, worked for the government, or
may simply be a follower of local politics.
Sample actions: Identify authority (Wits + Politics),
Navigate bureaucracy (Resolve + Politics), Mudslinging
(Manipulation + Politics)
Sample Specialties: Bureaucracy, Local Politics,
National Politics, Scandals, Specific Political Party
Sample contacts: Personal Assistant to the
Governor, Political Blogger, Union Leader
Levels:

• Novice: This character knows the issues, both
major and minor, and follows important
players in the political sphere (both actual
candidates, and some of the people behind
them). He could be an insightful amateur
blogger, or simply an exceptionally tuned in
voter.
•• Professional: A character at this level knows
how to work within the system, and under-
stands the official organizational structure
very well. Low-level bureaucrats and lobbyists
generally have this level of the Politics Skill.

••• Experienced: At this rank, a character knows
a great deal about political figures, who their
allies are, and what issues they care about. He
could easily be a mover and shaker himself,
someone who can shape political agendas
behind the scenes.

•••• Expert: The character is a master at dealing
with all sorts of political structures. She
understands not only the official structure,
but who is actually in charge, and where to
apply pressure to accomplish her goals, often
without anyone being aware of her manipula-
tions of the system.

••••• Master: The character knows all the players,
what they really want, and where the bodies
are buried.
Science

Science is a character’s understanding of the natural
and physical sciences. It includes subjects like biology,
physics, chemistry, geology, and meteorology. Science
is useful for understanding how the world works. It
also helps characters make excellent use of resources
and helps with the design of and theory behind many
items that can be made using Crafts. A character with
a high Science Skill can explain what chemicals and
proportions are needed to make an explosive, or de-
termine the best materials for making a cage to hold a
strange creature.

35
Mental Skills