Physical

Ambidextrous (•••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 110

Effect: Your character does not suffer the -2 penalty for using his off-hand in combat or to perform other actions. Available at character creation only.


Armored Fighting (•• or ••••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 84
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Stamina •••

Effect: Langschwert groups that emphasize historical techniques learn to fight in full armor. They know-how to move and conserve energy in heavy chain mail or even full plate. These skills aren’t exclusive to European martial artists. They’re also found in Japanese koryu and modern military combatives. Your character knows how to fight in heavy armor. Every two dots in this Merit (at •• or ••••) reduce her Brawl,Melee Defense and Speed penalties for heavy armor by 1.


Athletics Dodge (•)
Book: Dogs Of War, p. 38
Prerequisites: Dexterity •• and Athletics •

Effect: Whenever your character performs a dodge (see “Dodge”, the World of Darkness Rulebook, page156) you can add his Athletics Skill dots to his Defense instead of doubling his Defense. He essentially draws on his knowledge of how his body moves to parry and evade attacks rather than rely on his raw ability alone. Athletics Dodge applies against incoming Brawl-and Weaponry-based attacks, against thrown-weapon attacks, and against firearms attacks made within close-combat range. Your character can move up to his Speed and perform an Athletics Dodge maneuver in a turn. A character can possess this Merit and also the Brawling Dodge and Weaponry Dodge Merits, but only one can be used per turn.


Berserker (• to •••••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 113
Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Stamina •••, and Supplemented Skill or Style •

Effect: The character supplements his chosen style or Skill with his own maddened fury. Berserk characters work themselves into a violent rage, sometimes aided through the use of drugs, which have the usual effect on their physiology (see p. 176,
World of Darkness Rulebook). Working oneself into this fury requires an intense exercise of will, costing the character one Willpower point and an instant action. Once the character has entered the berserker gang, she may use any of the maneuvers listed below. These benefits can be combined with one another or with an associated Fighting Style Merit during the same turn, so long as the drawbacks or necessary expenditures do not contradict (for example, a character cannot benefit from Strength in the Fury when using a Fighting Style maneuver that otherwise costs the character her Defense).A character in a berserker haze occasionally has difficulty telling friend from foe, and must make are flexive Resolve + Composure roll to avoid assaulting allies during any turn in which those allies present a more tempting target than an enemy. Characters who are already prone to a form of supernatural rage (such as vampires and werewolves) must roll Resolve + Composure during every turn in which they take advantage of this style. If they fail, they fall into their maddened state (frenzy, Kuruth, etc.) and lose the benefits of being berserk. The character remains in a berserk state until she either spends a second Willpower to calm herself, she is rendered unconscious, or the combat comes to an end. Characters who fight in a berserk haze often purchase Iron Stamina to represent their ability to ignore pain. The Brawl and Weaponry Skills are equally appropriate for use with this style, as are the Two-Weapon(usually axes), Shield, Knife, Stick and Staff Fighting Styles. Styles that require careful precision such as Evasive Striking or Light Sword are not appropriate. Defensive styles are explicitly incompatible with the aggressiveness required of berserkers. Dots purchased in this Merit provide access to special combat maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the next.


Strength in the Fury (•):
A berserker goes all-out, all the time, and her body rewards her heedless actions with increased power and speed. The berserker gains an additional die (for a total of three) when taking all-out attacks (page 157, World of Darkness Rulebook).

Adrenaline Rush (••):
The berserker ignores pain and her foes’ attacks only drive her madness, pushing her to brutally defeat them. The character gains a point of armor against bashing and lethal attacks as she casually shrugs off weak attacks.

Inhuman Alacrity (•••):
A berserker’s opponents are shocked and frightened by the speed and ferocity that manifests in her actions, making her far more difficult to hit. The character gains an additional 2 dice (for a total of four dice) when using Willpower to avoid suffering an attack.

Ignorant in the Face of Death (••••):
The berserker’s rage overrides her physical limitations, pushing her to greater feats even when others would fall in pain. In a mad, violently fit, the character can ignore some or all wound penalties for a turn.
Drawback: The character sacrifices part of her Defense in any turn during which she ignores wound penalties on a one-for-one basis (for example, by ignoring two dice of wound penalties, she suffers a –2 to her Defense trait). If she has already applied her full Defense against an incoming attack during the turn, she may not use this maneuver. The character may still use Willpower to enhance her attack or Defense, if she so chooses, but may not utilize any other maneuver or supernatural ability that necessitates the loss of Defense (such as an all-out attack).


Bloody-Handed Bastard (•••••):
The berserker gouges at eyes, bites at ears, and tears at genitals. Her behavior is so violent that she inflicts lasting damage on her foes, regardless of weapon. The character’s attacks inflict lethal damage.

Drawback: The character sacrifices her Defense during a turn in which she uses this maneuver. If she has already applied her Defense against an incoming attack during the turn, she may not use this maneuver.


Brawling Dodge (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 110
Prerequisite: Strength •• and Brawl •

Effect: Whenever your character performs a dodge (see “Dodge”, p. 156), you can choose to add his Brawl Skill dots to his Defense instead of doubling his Defense. He essentially draws on his training in blocking and evading attacks rather than relying on his raw ability alone. While this might provide little benefit to a brawling novice, it can give the advanced fighter an edge. Brawling Dodge applies against incoming Brawl- and Weaponry-based attacks, against thrown-weapon attacks, and against Firearms attacks made within close-combat range. Your character can move up to his Speed and perform a Brawling Dodge maneuver in a turn. A character can possess both the Brawling Dodge and Weaponry Dodge Merits, but only one can be used per turn.


Combat Art (• to ••••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 117
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Stamina ••, Composure ••, Supplemented Skill or Style •

Effect: The character supplements her chosen style or Skill with a carefully-trained showmanship. Her movements are graceful yet expedient, her blades or fists flashing through the air as she steps lightly upon the balls of her feet. Combat artists often learn their skills in professions that are not traditionally associated with violence, namely the theatre and film, but many also train to showcase their own skills during martial arts demos or non-combative martial arts competitions. These maneuvers represent those who value style over substance. As such, this supplemental style may be purchased for the Expression Skill, representing those whose combat training is
wholly theatrical. If used to supplement Expression, the style cannot be used effectively in combat, and the fourth tier of the Merit cannot be purchased. Disarm, Fast Reflexes, Fighting Finesse, Quick Draw and Student of the Blade are all popular Merits for those whose primary combat training is primarily for show. Those combat artists who reside in Hollywood often possess the Stunt Driver Merit, as well. Trick shooters and show marksmen often possess Gunslinger. The Expression and Weaponry Skills are equally appropriate for use with this style, though Athletics, Brawl and Firearms versions are widely learned, as well. Fighting Styles typically supplemented by Combat Art include Aggressive and Evasive Striking, Control, Knives, Light Sword, Throwing and Two-Weapon, while Combat Marksmanship, Sniping and even Archery find occasional crossover with this style. The combination of Combat Art with the Flexible Weapons Fighting Style can be stunning in martial arts competitions. Combat Art is rarely combined with the teaching of those schools that teachings are overwhelmingly pragmatic, such as Kraal Maga. Exceptions do exist, however; Krav Maga’s popularity in entertainment demands stunt persons capable of convincingly performing the vicious style, for example. Particularly traditional schools may frown upon Combat Art, as well, though many perform careful rituals and katas that can be considered powerful performance in its own right. Dots purchased in this Merit provide access to special combat maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the next.

Flourish (•):
The character performs an example of her style in order to threaten rather than entertain(though audiences often experience a thrill when witnessing such a feat) as an instant action. She gains a bonus to Intimidation rolls equal to her rating in the supplemented Skill or Fighting Style. This bonus lasts until the end of the scene or the character suffers a successful attack from an opponent (whichever comes first). Characters who enter the scene after the flourish is performed are not affected by it.
Drawback: The flourishing character’s bonus is penalized by others who know her supplemented Skill or Fighting Style, as they might see through the emptiness of her action. For each dot the target of the character’s intimidation possesses in
the same Skill or Fighting Style as that being supplemented, subtract one die from the flourishing character’s roll. Against sufficiently skilled opponents, this can completely cancel the bonus granted by the maneuver and even remove dice from the base Intimidation pool. A master sees through such petty posturing and thinks less of the student as a result.

Staged Combat (••):
The character has trained to make perfectly safe and choreographed combat seem exceedingly real. The character gains a bonus to Expression or Subterfuge rolls to falsify combat equal to her rating in the supplemented Skill or Fighting Style.
Drawback: This maneuver can only be used with another individual who is working to fake the fight (and typically functions as a teamwork action).

Dancing for Mars (•••):
The character gains a bonus equal to her rating in her supplemented Skill or Fighting Style to Expression rolls when utilizing her combat prowess as a performance piece (those using Combat Art to supplement Expression may double their Expression rating). This may be used to win competitions, secure a job teaching martial arts, or even intimidate one’s enemies. The bonus does not,however, ever apply to attacks made with the Skill, and use of this maneuver usually constitutes an extended action.

Function Follows Form (••••):
The character has learned how to marry life and art, and her extensive training allows her to utilize the grace she exemplifies on the stage or gym mat to outmaneuver her enemies on the mean streets of the World of Darkness. The character gains one half of her rating in the supplemented Skill or Fighting Style, rounded up, as bonus dice to her attack roll and as a bonus to her Defense (which is not doubled in the case of a Dodge maneuver).
Drawback: The character must spend one Willpower point during any turn in which she benefits from this maneuver.


Combatant (••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 181
Prerequisite: Resolve ••, Brawl, Firearms or Weaponry •

Effect: Your character either has training in how to handle himself in a fight, or has been in enough crisis situations that he doesn’t lose his head when people start getting hurt. A number of combat hacks involving the effects of pain and stress do not apply to this character. These hacks are: Freezing Under Fire, Lethal Stun and Unable to Attack.


Direction Sense (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 110

Effect: Your character has an innate sense of direction that instinctively allows him to remain oriented. He can enter unfamiliar territory and always retrace his steps back to his starting point, and can orient himself to any of the compass points (i.e., face north, face south) without references.


Disarm (••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 110
Prerequisite: Dexterity ••• and Weaponry ••

Effect: Your character has refined his Weaponry Skill to the extent that he can use a weapon to disarm-opponents in close combat. When making a normal attack, compare your successes to the opponent’s Dexterity. If you get a number of successes equal to or greater than the opponent’s Dexterity, you can choose to have your character disarm him instead of doing damage. A weapon lands a number of yards away from the opponent equal to your successes rolled. Disarming is a different activity than specifically attacking or breaking weapons or items carried by opponents. See “Equipment” (p. 139) for rules on doing that.


Driving Style: High Performance Driving (• to ••••)
Book: Midnight Roads, p. 56
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Resolve ••, Drive ••

Effect: Your character is trained in advanced driving techniques. Maybe he’s a cop or a federal agent. Maybe he’s a stuntman for film and TV or the wheel man in a heist gang. Dots purchases in this Merit allow access to special driving maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the next. Your character cannot possess “Smuggler’s Turn” until he has “Speed Demon.” Maneuvers and effects are described below.


Speed Demon (•):
For this character, a vehicle’s Maximum Speed is now the same as the vehicle’s Safe Speed. The character is very comfortable with driving fast, and thus does not suffer penalties for driving in excess of a vehicle’s Safe Speed (see p.143, the World of Darkness Rulebook).


Smuggler’s Turn (••):
Also known as a J-Turn, this is essentially a radical U-turn used at high speed: the driver puts the car into a controlled skid, the car turns around, and as it’s turning, he puts it into gear and keeps driving — except now, in the other direction. Used by bootleggers during Prohibition, it’s a great way to escape a pursuing vehicle, if it works. The character must succeed on a Dexterity + Drive + Handling roll to make this turn. In doing so, any pursuing vehicles lose the Handling bonus when trying to follow, unless the pursuing driver also possesses this Merit.


Safe Passage (•••):
Driving through strange or unsafe conditions — icy road, debris-littered highway, grid-locked highway — invokes penalties for most drivers, but not this character. He’s able to zip past wreckage and control his car even when in a fishtailing hydroplane. Doing so still requires a Dexterity + Drive +Handling roll, but the character can ignore up to three dice of penalty caused by bad or unsafe conditions.


Offensive Driving (••••):
When locked in vehicle pursuit (see pp. 69–71, the World of Darkness Rulebook), it’s good to drive in a way that distracts and disrupts the other driver. Whether the character is the pursuer or the pursued, he can perform a number of distracting and disrupting techniques to hamper the other car. The quarry might drive over the median, clip trash cans with his bumper to knock them over or even careen through a busy intersection. The pursuer can perform maneuvers such as bumping the back end of the fleeing car or distracting the fleeing driver by weaving in and out of traffic behind him (even disappearing momentarily behind, say, an 18-wheeler) in an effort to draw the driver’s attention away from what he should be paying attention to: the road. The effect is the same for whether the character is the pursuer or the pursued: the tricky driving hampers an opponent’s driving. The opponent’s Acceleration and Handling scores are
halved (round up) as he is distracted.
Drawback: The character must expend a Willpower point at the beginning of vehicle pursuit to achieve this effect. Moreover, by the end of it, the vehicle the character was driving assumes an automatic loss of two Structure from the highly offensive driving.


Entering Strike (••)
Book:Armory Reload, p. 72
Prerequisite: Dexterity ••, Brawl •••

Effect: Your character knows how to strike an opponent to upset his balance, making it easy for you to take him down. If you inflict damage with a Brawl-based strike, you gain a dice bonus equal to the damage you inflicted to a subsequent grappling hold (or
shihonage, if you know the Aikido Fighting Style) attempt. This must be your next attack.

Drawback: Your Defense does not apply during the turn in which you attempt an entering strike.


Equipped Grappling (••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 89
Prerequisite: Dexterity •••, Brawl ••, Weaponry ••

Effect: Your character knows how to use a blunt weapon to enhance her holds and locks. She presses the weapon against joints and muscle groups, or forces compliance with a few short blows. If she has a blunt weapon in hand, add the weapon’s Size to her Strength + Brawl pool whenever she attempts over powering maneuvers.

Drawbacks: This benefit doesn’t apply to initial attempts to establish a grapple. It only works with weapons that have a maximum Size of 3.


Fast Reflexes (• or ••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 110
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••

Effect: +1 Initiative per dot Your character’s mix of sharp reflexes and steady nerves helps him get the drop on adversaries.


Fighting Finesse (••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 110
Prerequisite: Dexterity ••• and Weaponry ••

Effect: Your character prefers to fight with a chosen weapon in a manner that favors agility over power. With that one weapon (a rapier or katana, for example), you may substitute your character’s Dexterity for Strength when making attack rolls. This Merit may be purchased multiple times to gain agility with more weapons, one for each purchase.


Firearms Retention (•)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 89
Prerequisite: Dexterity ••, Wits ••, Brawl ••, Firearms ••

Effect: Your character knows how to keep a hold of his gun when someone tries to take it, even while it’s holstered. If an opponent attempts to disarm her with an overpower maneuver, an attempt to target her holster with a grab (see the
World of Darkness rulebook, p. 138) or use a similar tactic learned from a Fighting Style, he must subtract your character’s Brawl dots from his dice pool. This benefit also applies to attempts to steal the weapon from your character’s holster.

Drawback: This benefit doesn’t apply against attempts to take a weapon by stealth.


Fleet of Foot (• to •••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 112
Prerequisites: Strength •••

Effect: +1 Speed per dot Regardless of your character’s physical build, he can run quickly when he chooses to.


Fresh Start (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 112
Prerequisites: Fast Reflexes •

Effect: Your character dedicates an action to altering his standing in the Initiative order in the following turn and for all subsequent turns, choosing to insert himself at a new point in the roster, even if it means going first when he went last before. For example, if your Initiative roll (see p. 151) resulted in a 9, but a rival whom your character wanted to waylay got a 12, your character can forfeit an action in turn one to get a fresh start and then act before that rival at 13 in turn two and afterward.
Drawback: A character must take an action to change his Initiative ranking in subsequent turns. He can do nothing else in that action except move up to his Speed.


Giant (••••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 112

Effect: Your character is seven or more feet tall and over 250 pounds. He is +1 Size (and thus +1 Health).
Available at character creation only.

Drawback: Your character needs to shop in big-and tall clothing stores or gets clothes custom tailored. Height also be required to purchase two seats for air travel, depending on the airline.


Ground and Pound (••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 98
Prerequisites: Combination Blows Fighting Style Maneuver (Boxing or Aggressive Striking •••),Take down/Throw Fighting Style Maneuver

(Grappling ••)
Effect: Your character may use Combination Blows (World of Darkness core, pp. 110–111) to perform Take down/Throw Maneuver followed by an unarmed strike. If she succeeds with the first maneuver, her dice pool doesn’t suffer the usual –1 penalty for the second attack in the Combination Blows series. Instead, the character gains a +2 bonus to strike her prone opponent.


Gun slinger (•••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 112
Prerequisites: Dexterity ••• and Firearms •••

Effect: Your character’s capability and experience with firearms is such that he can accurately fire two pistols at the same time. Your character still suffers the –2 offhand penalty for shooting with his secondary hand (unless he also possesses the Ambidextrous Merit, above), but he can shoot both pistols as a single action during a turn. The second attack is also at a -1 penalty. Your character may shoot at two different targets if he wishes, but the amount of concentration required negates his Defense for the turn. The Merit can be used with pistols only.

Drawback: Your character cannot use his Defense against any attack in the same turn in which he intends to use this Merit on two separate targets in the same turn. If he uses Defense against attacks that occur earlier in the Initiative roster, before he can perform this maneuver, he cannot perform the maneuver this turn. He is too busy bobbing and weaving out of the way of attacks.


Heavy Hands (•••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 98
Prerequisite: Strength •••, Brawl ••

Effect: Your character has a strong upper body, tough knuckles and enough raw aggression to punch harder than most people. Her strikes inflict +1 damage. This even applies when she’s wearing knuckledusters or other blunt fist loads.

Drawback: The benefit does not apply to biting, grappling attacks or sharp weapons(including blades or spiked fist loads) – just standard unarmed strikes.


Iron Stamina (• to •••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Stamina ••• or Resolve •••

Effect: Each dot eliminates a negative modifier (on a one-for-one basis) when resisting the effects of fatigue or injury. For example: A character with Iron Stamina •• is able to ignore up to a -2 modifier brought on by fatigue. See “Fatigue”, p. 179. The Merit also counteracts the effects of wound penalties. So, if all of your character’s Health boxes are filled (which normally imposes a -3 penalty to his actions) and he has Iron Stamina •, those penalties are reduced to -2. This Merit cannot be used to gain positive modifiers for actions,only to cancel out negative ones. Your character can push his body well past the limits of physical endurance when he has to, pressing on in the face of mounting exhaustion or pain. Perhaps he trained himself to go without sleep for days at a time in order to get through college, or a lifetime of sports has taught your character how to play through the pain no matter how bad it gets.

Drawback: When your character does finally rest, he sleeps like the dead. After staying awake for an extended period, your character is extremely difficult to wake until he’s slept for a minimum of 12 hours,regardless of the situation.


Iron Stomach (••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Stamina ••

Effect: Your character can eat almost anything, under almost any conditions. Greasy bacon and runny eggs on a raging hangover? No problem. The green meat in the fridge? No problem. Milk two weeks past its expiration date? No problem. He could be dropped in the middle of the forest and could live off bugs and roots as long as necessary in order to survive - and with no ill effects. Add two dice to appropriate Survival rolls. Add three to Stamina to resist deprivation (see p. 175).


Natural Immunity (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Stamina ••

Effect: Your character gains a +2 modifier on Stamina rolls to resist infection, sickness and disease. His immune system is exceptionally effective at resisting infections, viruses and bacteria. Your character can probably count on one hand the number of times he’s been seriously ill.


Outdoors man (••)
Book: Midnight Roads, p. 59
Prerequisites: Survival 3The character is a natural at making her way in the wilderness, and she has a knack for surviving situations that would prove deadly to most. She can find food and shelter where others see only the possibility of hunger and exposure to the harshness of the elements, and she knows the signs and subtle tells of the outdoors although they were her native tongue. Characters with this Merit may ignore up to three points of penalties from environmental sources applied to any roll involving the Survival Skill. If a Survival roll is not penalized, then the character instead receives a+1 modifier to her dice pool.


Parkour (• to •••••)
Book: Strange Alchemies, p. 74, Tribes Of The Moon, p. 98
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Athletics ••The sport of parkour began in France, and has quickly spread to other parts of the world. Parkour demands a level of athleticism from its practitioners that few other sports do. The purpose of parkour, which is also called “free running” or “urban running,” is to move as quickly as possible through an environment with a variety of obstacles, sprinting through the terrain and using a variety of climbing techniques, leaps, rolls and other athletic movements to navigate. Watching an expert traceur (one of the terms for someone who practices parkour) at work is awe-inspiring,like something out of an action film. Though the technique comes from well-disciplined training, embedding ascertain body of movements and techniques into the parkour’s instinctive reactions, the goal is a flawless,seamless flow of movement from one obstacle to the next, with hardly any pause in speed or movement. This “flow” is the goal of traceurs — it is the highest achievement of a practitioner of parkour to achieve aZen-like state of lack of thought, where purest instinct and reaction drives the movement. Skilled traceurs speak of sometimes being aware that they’ve accomplished a tremendously difficult feat heartbeats after they’ve accomplished it. Through intensive training to drive home certain actions when confronted with certain obstacles, the traceur can depend on his instincts, rather than his thoughts — which are vulnerable to fears and doubts — when moving through the urban environment. Traceurs gather in clubs. Though the sport has begun to catch on, and some of these clubs are receiving corporate sponsorship, the clubs tend to be quite informal, with members gathering in a given place on a given day of the week to work on their techniques. Dots purchased in this Merit allow access to special athletic maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the next. So, your character can’t have “Cat Leap” until he has “Flow.” The maneuvers and their effects are described below, most of which are based on the Athletics Skill.

Flow (•):
Your character has some basic training in the techniques of parkour, allowing him to act instinctively to obstacles and jumps. When using running or using the Foot Chase rules (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 65), your character may negate hazardous terrain penalties equal to his Rating in the Parkour Merit. Additionally, the roll to gauge a jump distance (see the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 67)is a reflexive action.


Cat Leap (••):
Your character has mastered some of the twisting leaps, landing rolls and wall taps used by traceurs. When using a Dexterity + Athletics roll to mitigate damage from falling (see the
World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 179), your character gains one automatic success. Additionally, add one per dot in this Merit tithe threshold of damage that can be removed through this roll. Thus, if the Storyteller decrees that only three successes may be garnered to reduce falling damage, the traceur with three dots in this Merit may actually use six successes (assuming the player accumulates that many, including his automatic success).

Wall Run (•••):
Your character has mastered the quick wall-run and leaping climb techniques of parkour. When using Athletics to climb (see the
World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 64), your character is capable of scaling heights of 10 feet + 5 feet per dot in Athletics as an instant action (rather than the normal 10 feet),though every full 10 feet beyond the first imposes a –1 die penalty. so extensively in this athletic discipline that its maneuvers are normal and instinctive for him. Your character may designate any Athletics roll that involves running, jumping and climbing as being a Rote Action (see the
World of Darkness Rulebook, p.134). However, when doing so, he is less able to react to events that don’t have to do with navigating the environment, causing him to lose his Defense for that turn.

Expert Traceur (••••):
Your character has trained so extensively in this athletic discipline that its maneuvers are normal and instinctive for him. Your character may designate any Athletics roll that involves running, jumping and climbing as being a Rote Action (see the
World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 134). However, when doing so, he is less able to react to events that don’t have to do with navigating the environment, causing him to lose his Defense for that turn.

Freeflow (•••••):
Your character has achieved the freeflow that is the holy grail of traceurs everywhere — he acts without thinking, his movements flowing, graceful and quick when he enters “the zone.” He can perform any Athletics action that involves running, jumping or climbing as a reflexive action, rather than an instant action. Doing so requires that the character has been running for at least a full minute previously; any use of this ability before that minute mark requires the expenditure of one point of Willpower, however.


Quick Draw (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••

Effect: Your character can draw a pistol and fire or pull a melee weapon and attack without penalty as a single action in a turn. If a weapon is hidden on your character’s person (under a coat or in a purse), it can be drawn and used in the same turn without the normal loss of Defense. A separate Quick Draw Merit must be acquired for use with firearms and melee weapons.


Quick Healer (••••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Stamina ••••

Effect: Your character’s healing abilities are remarkable, allowing him to bounce back quickly from injuries that would leave most people bedridden for months. Your character recovers from injuries in half the time that others do. One point of bashing damage is healed in eight minutes. One point of lethal damage is healed in one day. One point of aggravated damage is healed in four days.
Strong Back (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Strength ••

Effect: Your character gains a +1 modifier to actions involving lifting or carrying heavy weights. She can lift and carry much more weight than her build and body type suggests.


Strong Lungs(•••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Athletics •••

Effect: Your character is practiced at holding his breath for long periods of time. He might be a pearl diver or escape artist, capable of staying underwater without aid for longer than most people believe is possible. When determining how long your character can hold his breath, add two to Stamina when referencing the Holding Breath chart on p. 49. For example, if your character’s Stamina is 2, he can hold his breath for four minutes before you need to make a roll.


Student Of The Blade (•)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 66
Prerequisite: Fighting Style: Fencing (Aggressive Light Sword) or Iaido (Defensive Light Sword) •

Effect: Your character trains with a wide variety of light swords and sticks, allowing her to flow from one method to the next. She never suffers a penalty for being unfamiliar with a weapon outside her original Fighting Style.


Stunt Driver (•••)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••

Effects: Your character can drive a vehicle and perform an unrelated action (e.g., fire a gun, punch another passenger) in the same turn. Drive rolls may still be necessary for dangerous maneuvers or situations. See“Vehicles, “ p. 141.
Stunt Rider (•••)
Book: Requiem For Rome, p. 110
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••

Effects: Your character can ride a horse and perform an unrelated action (e.g., fire a bow, grab a running victim) in the same turn. Ride rolls may still be necessary for dangerous maneuvers or situations.


The Weapon at Hand (••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 79
Prerequisite: Fighting Style: Krav Maga (Defensive Striking) ••

Effect: Krav Maga teaches its adherents that efficacy trumps style in every case. Exposed to purposefully harsh conditions, mentors train their pupils to quickly recognize and obtain the most useful improvised implement of destruction in her immediate surroundings, whether it be a bottle of gin, a pool cue or even as tapler. The results can be brutal. A character with this Merit may roll Wits + Weaponry as a reflexive action to ascertain what nearby object is both useful and available for use as a deadly weapon. On a success, the Storyteller relates to her the nearest and most efficacious improvised weapon, which she may then take up as an instant action (or as a reflexive action if she possesses the appropriate Quick Draw Merit). On a dramatic success, the character finds a weapon so perfect that it does not suffer the usual –1 penalty for being improvised. Storytellers are encouraged to be creative with this Merit. Rarely does a character find herself in a situation in which absolutely nothing can be used as a weapon.


Tolerance for Biology (•)
Book: Asylum, p. 51
Prerequisite: Resolve, Stamina or Composure ••

Effect: Some people see blood and pass out. Some people hear another person throwing up and get queasy. Your character can watch medicinal maggots being massaged into open, blackened wounds and feel nothing except a bit of curiosity. He never feels nauseated due to unpleasant things he sees in a medical setting, and receives a +2 bonus to any roll to keep composed when offered scenes of violence or carnage, or when exposed to horrific smells.


Toxin Resistance (••)
Book:
The World Of Darkness Core, p. 113
Prerequisites: Stamina •••

Effect:
Your character gains a +2 modifier to Stamina rolls to resist the effects of drugs, poisons and toxins. His body is capable of withstanding high levels of chemicals without suffering any ill effects. He’s probably never had a case of food poisoning, much less a hangover.

Drawbacks: Your character’s body can’t tell the difference between recreational toxins and intentional ones. It’s very difficult for him to become intoxicated, whether from alcohol, nicotine or other drugs. Also, painkillers and anesthetics are only half as effective as normal.


Weaponry Dodge (•)
Book: The World Of Darkness Core, p. 114
Prerequisites: Strength ••• and Weaponry •

Effect: Whenever your character performs a dodge (see “Dodge,” p. 156), you can choose to add his Weaponry Skill dots to his Defense instead of doubling his Defense. He essentially draws on his training in parrying and evading attacks rather than relying on his raw ability alone. While this might provide little benefit to a fencing novice, it can give the advanced fighter an edge. Weaponry Dodge applies against incoming Brawl- and Weaponry-based attacks, against thrown-weapon attacks, and against Firearms attacks made within close-combat range. Your character can move up to his Speed and perform a Weaponry Dodge maneuver in a turn. A character can possess both the Brawling Dodge and Weaponry Dodge Merits, but only one can be used per turn.


Weapons to Empty Hands (••)
Book: Armory Reload, p. 66
Prerequisite: Dexterity •••, Brawl •••, Weaponry •••, Fighting Style Merit •••• (and see below)

Effect: Your character trains in a martial art that teaches common principles for weapons and unarmed combat. Her skills transfer from one to the other. This gives her the ability to use certain armed Fighting Styles without a weapon. Of the styles discussed in this book, she may use Two Weapons, Filipino Martial Arts (Stick Fighting) or Spetsnaz (and other forms of) Knife Fighting. You must purchase this maneuver separately for each Fighting Style. Your character uses Brawl instead of Weaponry for all maneuver-related attacks and dice pools, and inflicts damage as an unarmed combatant.


Wheelman (••)
Book: Midnight Roads, p. 59
Prerequisites: Dexterity 2, Drive 2Some people were born to sit behind the wheel of a car (truck, van, etc.). Likewise, there are those for whom steering a motorcycle is as natural as moving their own limbs by will alone. Such individuals often take to the nomad lifestyle with the eagerness of a natural wanderer. Characters with this Merit receive the benefit of the 9-again rule with respect to all rolls involving the Drive Skill.