Skills & Combat Proficiencies

COMBAT SEQUENCE

Once combat has been established, or is about to begin, here is the sequence that must be followed:

1. Roll for Initiative: a combat sequence begins with all combatants (Player Characters and NPCs) rolling for initiative. This is only done once before combat has begun.
   1. Sequence: The Player or NPC with the highest roll goes first, followed by the Character with the second highest rolled initiative and so forth. This is now the established order of combatants.
   2. Late Comers: If a Player's Character enters the combat scene after the Roll for Initiative has taken place, that Player's Character is automatically placed at the end of the Initiative Sequence,.
2. Action: The first combatant then decides which action he/she/they will take. This can be to attack a Foe, use a Gift/Discipline/Skill or other ability, run away, hurl an insult, use a Buff/Debuff, or any other action the Character wishes to take which is valid during combat.
   1. If a Character has more than one Action per Turn, all Actions must be completed by the end of the Turn or the Action is forfeit.
3. Attack: If the Action is a Physical Attack, Mental Attack, Debuff or other action that inflicts damage or effects on a Target:
   1. Combatant Designates the Target
   2. Combatant's Player Rolls To Hit
      1. If the roll hits, the Target must roll to Defend.
      2. If the roll fails to hit, the attack misses and the Target suffers no damage or effects.
   3. Target Rolls to Defend (must beat the attacker's rolled number to hit)
      1. If the defense roll is successful, then the Target dodges all damage/effects.
      2. If the defense roll is unsuccessful, then HP (Health Points) damage/effects are inflicted
      3. All Targets have the opportunity to Defend an Attack. This is a Defense Move and does not take the place of their own Turn.
4. Next Combatant's Turn: End of the First Combatant's Turn and Second Combatant in the Initiative Roll begins his/her/their first turn with the same sequence of events as the previous.
   1. If the next Combatant is AFK (away from keyboard) or does not respond within a reasonable amount of time, their Turn is forfeit and the next Combatant in the Initiative Order will go.
5. End of Combat: Combat is concluded once all enemies or attackers are vanquished, captured, surrendered or killed.
6. EXAMPLE: For an example of what a roleplay combat sequence might look like, visit the FAQ: What is a Combat Sequence. CLICK HERE.

NOTE: To keep combat running quickly and smoothly, please have your attack ready and planned for when it is your turn. You may wish to prewrite any emotes in advance to simply copy/paste them into local chat, but please keep them to just a sentence or two.

SKILL PURCHASE CHART

The Chart below illustrates how many Experience Points (XP) are required to purchase levels/points in any Skill or Ability. While not all Skills and Abilities have eight levels of points to purchase, this chart shows the cost for purchasing those points.

About Skills and Combat Proficiencies

• Skills and Combat Proficiencies are general categories of purchasable talents that add valuable modifiers to other Skills, Abilities or Gifts used during Roleplay. These categories are open to all Player Characters and are listed in these sections below: Mental Skills, Physical Skills, Combat Skills. 
  
  
• These Skills and Combat Proficiencies can be learned by any character class without the need for having a mentor or someone who knows the skill to teach them to your Character. The Bonus Modifiers are cumulative and stack.
  
  
• They can be acquired during your initial character generation by selecting them on your Character Sheet, or purchased after character generation with earned Experience Points (XP). 
  
  
• Skills or Combat Proficiencies have a description of what they effect in roleplay, as well as a skill chart that will tell you which modifiers you will receive. These modifiers will automatically be populated in your Players' HUD Character Sheet when you select them.
  
  
• Unless otherwise noted, most Skills and Combat Proficiencies are simply modifiers to character-specific skills. For example, a Rapha Kinfolk Healer would invest in Chemistry to enhance her chances of combining the correct herbs to make a healing salve. A Human might invest in Larceny to improve his chances of success when picking locks.
  
  
• While some skills and abilities can be used on their own, most simply enhance your chances of success for certain actions you do in Roleplay, such as shooting a gun (Weapons), persuading someone to let you into an exclusive club (Persuasion), jumping from one rooftop to another (Athletics/Reflexes), or sneaking past a guard (Stealth), just to name a few.

AUTOMATIC BONUS MODIFIERS

When Players use XP (Experience Points) to Purchase Skills, Abilities and Gifts, they have the potential to receive additional bonus modifiers in any of eight different skill areas. These Bonus Modifiers cannot be purchased separately (for example, you cannot use XP to purchase bonuses in Mental Defense itself, but you do gain a +5 Bonus Modifier to Mental Defense when you purchase your sixth point in Willpower.)

Bonus Modifiers do not cost extra when you purchase points in other skills, abilities or gifts and are automatically added to your rolls for success when applicable talents are used. 

Bonus Modifier Categories:

MENTAL SKILLS

All Points Are Cumulative.

1) ALERTNESS (AL)
This is your basic potential for noticing mundane things that go on around you, even when you're not actively looking for them. Alertness describes the attention you pay to the outside world, whether otherwise occupied or not. It is an indicator of how attuned you are to things your character can see, smell, hear or touch. For example, the color of the car that just drove by and it's make/model/license plate number. In Combat, it allows the Character to notice how opponents are holding themselves, if they are leading with their right or left foot, how they are holding a weapon and the direction they intend to swing. This gives them an edge to act first.

2) CHEMISTRY
There's a lot that a good chemist can do with a few household chemicals. Explosives, acids, bases, smoke bombs, and solvents are just the beginning. Creating a chemical compound to cause a car to malfunction over time, or a device that dissolves in gas or diesel to unleash a payload of sugar. Fermentation is part of this equation as well, using this reaction to create beer, wine...or something else entirely. Some skills use chemistry as a modifier. Before purchasing Chemistry, check out the skills and abilities within your character class to see if it will effect your modifiers to ensure you would benefit from purchasing points in this skill.

3) COMPUTER
Hardware or software, Computer skills determine how knowledgeable a Character is when using or building electronics, computers, computer programs/software and operating systems or when attempting to hack electronic devices, internet sites or security encryptions. From a cell phone or computer to writing code or building a robot drone, Computer Skills are essential for any level of ability or understanding when using, programming or altering electronic components and systems.

NOTE: This does not include skill in mechanics, engines, welding, etc.
(See Crafting under Physical Skills)

4) INITIATIVE (IV)
Initiative is a modifier that determines who acts first in reactive situations, such as combat. Players cannot directly purchase points into Initiative, but you can gain these bonuses by purchasing other skills, abilities and gifts such as Alertness, Brawl, Stealth, Larceny and various others.

Those with higher bonuses in Initiative will have a much better chance of striking the first blow over Characters with little or no bonus modifiers in Initiative. In a combat sequence, all involved characters (both Player Characters and NPCs) will roll for Initiative to determine the order of attack. Initiative modifiers are added to these rolls. The higher your Initiative roll + bonuses, the more likely you will have the opportunity to strike before your enemies.

Rolling for Initiative is the first stage of any combat sequence. It's always of great benefit to be able to attack first before your opponent has a chance to even draw their weapon. While you are always able to roll to defend an attack no matter your initiative, Players with lower initiatives might have had several enemy strikes and are incapacitated or killed before it's their turn to roll their own attack.

These added Modifier points are always cumulative.

For example: purchasing your sixth point in Firearms will add a +5 Modifier to your Initiative rolls. Or, purchasing your third point in Brawl, gives you another +5 to your Initiative rolls. 

There are many other skills and abilities that add valuable modifiers to your Initiative. These Modifiers are automatically calculated into your HUD when you purchase points in applicable skills and added in whenever you make a roll for Initiative. In your HUD's Character Sheet, play around with selecting points in different areas and take note of how they change your Modifiers in various skills and abilities.

2) INTUITION
Intuition and Awareness are ingrained abilities that work together in noticing those actively using Stealth, and the supernatural. It differs from Alertness (which measures sensitivity to mundane events) and Occult (which covers actual knowledge about the supernatural). 

Characters with Awareness & Intuition are prone to getting hunches, chills, or unexpected inspiration when extra-ordinary events present themselves. This insight is on a subconscious level, and knowing that something’s wrong doesn’t mean that the character knows what it is. To get more specific information, the character will need to use Occult, Auspex, or some other particular power. 

However, having a heightened sense of Awareness is what clues a character in to use their other skills to figure out what is actually going on. Awareness only makes the character more receptive to the presence of the unusual. A Storyteller can ask for an Awareness roll to determine whether a character notices a strange event that’s not immediately visible or overtly noticeable. A Storyteller may also ask that a Player make an Awareness & Intuition roll to see if their using other powers are actually warranted. 

For example: Vampire A wants to use Auspex on Vampire B to determine if they recently diablerized anyone. Vampire A's Player heard in the group chat that Vampire B diablerized their Sire, but unfortunately the Player's Vampire would not have heard any news like that and has no cause to use Auspex without provocation. (That is called Metagaming.) However, the Storyteller could have Vampire A's Player make an Intuition & Awareness roll to have a gut feeling something doesn't seem right with Vampire B - especially if Vampire B seems to be acting oddly. If Player A makes their roll, then the Storyteller may allow Vampire A to use Auspex.

5) INVESTIGATION

While Investigation is the ability to notice details others might overlook, more importantly is it is the skill to understand what these clues or details might mean in relation to a particular investigation or set of circumstances. More so and to a deeper level, it is the ability to do recognize patterns, research and follow leads, examining evidence to find a connection, and solving riddles by piecing together the puzzle and finding less-obvious commonalities. 

Professions such as law-enforcement officers, forensic specialists, scientists and investigators are trained in the art of examination, while others simply develop the knack through years of practice. It should be noted that Investigation is not quite the same as Intuition & Awareness, which is passive. Investigation-based rolls are made when a character actively studies a scene or set of clues. Investigation does not provide a character with sudden insight. But a good investigator might identify how seemingly unrelated crimes create a particular pattern on a map, or that victims with dissimilar backgrounds all had the exact same amount of money deposited in their bank accounts on the same day. 

• Professions: Career criminals, doctors, forensic examiners, police officers/detectives, scientists, scholars, soldiers
• Skills Covered: Artifacts, Body Language, Crime Scenes, Cryptography, Dreams, Autopsy Diagnoses, Puzzles, Riddles, Scientific Experiments

7) MEDICAL
This skill is the advancement of formally being trained at a school of medicine in order to treat a human, or can be applied to Veterinary medicine as well (though obviously not both). You have an understanding of how the human body works. This ability entails knowledge of medicines, ailments, first-aid procedures, and diagnosis or treatment of disease. In order to learn this knowledge a character must have at least one dot in chemistry and one dot in Investigation.

This skill will determine how successful your Medical treatments will be in roleplay with a Storyteller in a situation where your character is treating another character who is injured. You DO NOT need to have actual medical experience to play a Doctor, Nurse, EMT or other medical professional. While certain situations are enhanced with medical knowledge (all of which can be quickly researched online) the majority of the time overly-specific procedures are often confusing, eat up a lot of roleplay time, and simply not fun for the patient. 

A basic understanding of anatomy and how humans function is all that is needed for believable, and quality medical roleplay. Military medical handbooks are available free online and can help with a convincing procedure. Your expertise in medicine depends on how many points you have earned/purchased in Medical. And like a master surgeon slipping with a knife and making a mistake, so too can your modified roll fall short of success...or be a million-in-one miracle operation.

8) SUBTERFUGE
Deception, lying and concealment is the name of this game. Your Character knows how to mislead others in regards to their true motives and project whatever substitution for the truth as they wish. Furthermore, their mastery of deception makes them experts in detecting untruths in others and use those motives against them (It takes one to know one). Virtuosos of this ability have a keen instinct for intrigue, secrets, and double-dealing. Having Mastery of Subterfuge can make you the ultimate seducer, undercover spy, or con artist.

10) WILLPOWER
Deception, lying and concealment is the name of this game. Your Character knows how to mislead others in regards to their true motives and project whatever substitution for the truth as they wish. Furthermore, their mastery of deception makes them experts in detecting untruths in others and use those motives against them. Virtuosos of this ability have a keen instinct for intrigue, secrets, and double-dealing. Mastery of Subterfuge can make you the ultimate seducer or secret spy.

Physical Abilities

All Points Are Cumulative.

1) ATHLETICS/REFLEXES
Athletics/Reflexes cannot be directly purchased and modifiers to this skill must be earned by purchasing points into other Physical Skills. Athletics represents your inherent athletic ability, which increases when you purchase points into other activities requiring training, such as Brawl, Firearms, and Street Fighter Martial Arts, just to name a few. 

Athletics/Reflexes reflects any training you might have in sports or other rigorous activities. Athletics/Reflexes is used for modifiers in all sports, as well as running, jumping, throwing, dancing and all rolls modified by physical activity and skill. It also includes abilities in swimming, climbing, acrobatics, parkour, etc. It should be noted that this is a basic athletic ability with Human limitations.

2) CRAFTING
Crafting is an important modifier for certain skills and character types. Before purchasing Crafting, read through your skillsets to identify any abilities that you have or can earn that would benefit from Crafting modifiers. 

Crafting covers a great many subjects, representing a character's specialized training, artistic ability, or experience in creating works of physical art and building/making objects with his hands. From impressionistic paintings, sculpture and musical talent to carpentry, runecraft or automotive repair, characters with crafting skills express their artistic talents in any number of ways. 

While Crafters typically have the knowledge and skill when they have purchased points in Crafting, they may not necessarily have the tools or facilities to make use of their capabilities. However, Crafting only covers the actual skills themselves. The character must still have access to the tools of their trade, for example, a forge, a musical instrument, oil paints and brushes, mechanics tools, a welder, etc. 

3) DRIVE
The ability to drive is a skill which must be learned, practiced and perfected. It is directly related to eye-hand coordination, problem solving, reaction speed, depth perception, judging distance, understanding traffic laws, and the ability to think and react in 3D. Driving is also directly related to anything that is remote controlled, such as operating a drone, a robot, car, etc. Characters that have Drive maxed out  have strong concentration skills, remain calm under pressure, the ability to make quick decisions, the physical ability to manipulate camara controls and navigation.

4) LARCENY

A key skill for those with nefarious intentions, Larceny is all about familiarity with the tools and techniques used in the physical manipulation of devices. Put more clearly, it assists with the picking of locks, manual forgery, safecracking, hotwiring vehicles, various forms of breaking and entering, sleight-of-hand, misdirection, just to name a few. Larceny is useful not only for theft, but also for setting up “the unbeatable system” or deducing where a thief broke in. This skill does not confer any aptitude with advanced computer security or anti-crime technologies such as video surveillance or alarm systems — those are covered by the Computer Skill. 

5) STEALTH
When you need to be able to move silent and undetected, are tailing a target or need to hide, this talent is what you need to be successful. This talent is the ability to avoid being detected, whether you're hiding or moving at the time. Your level of Stealth (and success at using it) is directly related to someone else's Intuition & Awareness. This ability is valuable when stalking prey, not drawing notice to yourself, disappearing into a crowd, or losing someone who is following you. It also covers your ability to perform actions unobserved or unnoticed, such as for pickpocketing, performing sleight of hand tricks, and misdirection. 

Combat Skills

1) BRAWL
This skill represents your abilities in hand-to-hand, weaponless combat. With nothing in your hand but a fist full of knuckles, you can become a master of unarmed combat. Often used as a modifier in formal martial arts training, an expert in Brawl has the ability and confidence of experience to defend themselves without a weapon. 

Effective brawlers are experts in both offense and defense, punching, jabbing, blocking, kicking, dodging and even using a grapple move to effect strangulation. Strangulation occurs when a Character attacks a foe with a Grapple Hold on the foe's throat. If the Foe fails to resist the Grapple three times/turns, they lose consciousness. If the Foe is an NPC, the Character's Player can decide if they held on long enough to kill them, or simply if they wish to render the Foe unconscious. (Vampires and the undead cannot be killed or rendered unconscious by strangulation.)

Those skilled in Brawl can size up their opponent, quickly identify weaknesses, and take aim to hurt and incapacitate their opponents.

NOTE: Brawl only comes into play when there is no weapon being held in the Character's hand. However, it can be enhanced with brass knuckles. This is the only item that can be used with Brawl.

2) FIREARMS
Expertise in firearms covers any weapon or device that fires a projectile using air pressure or gunpowder. This skill represents familiarity with a range of firearms, from single-shot pistols to heavy machine guns. 

Firearms does not include heavy military equipment, such as mortars, tanks, bazookas, tank guns, etc. However, those skilled with Firearms are more than capable of cleaning and taking guns apart, unjam a gun, and accurately fire most forms of small arms. (Fixing or building a gun will require Craft Skill.)

Each point purchased in Firearms opens up that Level's corresponding gun selection. Purchasing your first point in a level allows you to select one weapon from that Level's available options. To select another gun in a previously purchased level will require the Player to expend additional Experience Points. There is no limit to how many guns you may purchase and have.

For Example: You purchase Level One in Firearms and select a Level One Taurus 22 Polly Pistol. It's small, easy to conceal and holds 8 bullets. Later, you decide you also want the Walther PPK since it can fire up to 3 bullets in a single action and potentially cause more damage. You will need to expend 10XP to purchase a second Level One gun. 

For more information on the types of firearms available, their levels & stats, and using them in combat, visit THE ARMORY by CLICKING HERE.

3) MELEE
Those who invest in Melee are experts in all hand-to-hand combat with non-firearm weapons, such as knives, swords, glaives, axes (not throwing), wooden stakes and daggers, as well as clubs, bats,  blackjacks, nunchakus, etc. This includes any direct, close combat where Characters strike an opponent with a weapon held in their hands.

While skill in Melee is important to have when doing this type of fighting, the type of weapon they are using also has modifiers for damage/defense. For example, a switchblade will do less damage than a bastard sword, however a switchblade weighs less, can attack more than once per turn, and can be concealed. While a bastard sword is better for blocking, and inflicting damage.

While Players can purchase points how well they use a melee weapon, these weapons must be purchased separately using Experience Points and have their own Attack and Damage Charts. 

For a complete list of available Melee Weapons, CLICK HERE.

4) STREET FIGHTER MARTIAL ARTS (SFMA)
A bastardized form of boxing, muay Thai and mixed martial arts, Street Fighter Martial Arts has none of the finesse and training of the Eastern marital arts, or even the Western variety. It's all about incapacitating and taking out an opponent to be the last one standing. This is a stand-alone skill that allows a Character to use a combination of attack moves, defense moves and a combination of both. Characters who spend points to learn specific moves in SFMA can perform rehearsed attacks, dodges, and defense moves during combat. Additionally, this skill is also modified by a Character's ability in Brawl. Each point purchased in Street Fighter Martial Arts allows the Player to select a specific Mixed Martial Arts maneuvers to add to their repertoire of attack/defense moves. At higher SFMA levels, mele weapons can also be employed.

For a complete list of SFMA Levels, moves and their associated abilities, CLICK HERE.

5) SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
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ABOUT PHYSICAL & MENTAL MODIFIERS

Some Skills, Abilities, Attributes, Gifts, etc. add additional modifier points to your rolls "behind the scenes" when they are purchased. These are used for "Balancing," keeping the game fair and preventing one group from being overpowered in relation to other groups. You may notice a higher modifier when you use your Character's skills and roll for success. This reflects the added modifiers you earned when purchasing certain skills and abilities that effect:

• Physical Attack
• Physical Defense
• Mental Attack
• Mental Defense

Unlike skills and abilities that you can purchase points into for increased modifiers, these permanent Physical and Mental modifiers are only acquired when you purchase certain skills and abilities. You will see these additional modifiers listed in a skill's/ability's basic attributes above the description. 

For example, the Assamite Ability of Quietus 2 gives the purchaser of that skill permanent +5 buffs to all Physical Attacks and Physical Defenses:

     ◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎:  Quietus 2 - Scorpion's Touch (debuff)

• Base Roll: 70
• Energy Cost: 2
• Damage: -5 to target's physical defense (in addition to any weapon damage)
• Mods: None
• Resist: None
• Permanent Affects:
  • +5 Athletics/Reflexes
  • +5 Physical Attack
  • +5 Physical Defense

How Do Physical and Mental Modifiers Effect Roleplay?

These additional buffs are automatically calculated into your modifiers whenever you use a Physical Attack, Mental Attack, or Physical Defense or Mental Defense. 

Think of these modifiers as the added bonus you receive when you learn a skill in real life, such as in when you learn Algebra it increases your abilities in solving logic-related problems. In DOD, this is represented by giving a general bonus when you learn certain other skills. Behind the scenes, these buffs are used to help balance out gameplay.

POINTS & MODIFIERS
All Dominions of Darkness rolls are based on a D-100, also known as Percentage Dice. This means that your chance for success when using a skill or ability (depending on what you are trying to do in roleplay) will have a numerical number assigned to it from 1-100. For example, the base roll for a Gifted Human to successfully use Level 3 Healing is set at 80%. The player must make a roll (using the Players' HUD) of 80 or more to succeed. But if the Player has purchased points in Intuition (as written in the Level 3 Healing Skill), then those modifiers are added to the Player's roll, making it much easier to succeed. Say the Player has purchased 3 points in Intuition. This gives them a +15 modifier, meaning instead of rolling 80, they only need to roll a 65 or higher to successfully use the skill. The more points you purchase in a particular skill's modifiers, the easier it is for your character to succeed.

Points Are Cumulative
Points purchased in abilities and combat skills are cumulative. For example, if a Player wished to purchase all 8 points in Alertness, they would need to spend 440 XP. Each point purchased counts as +5% modifier when rolling specifically for that skill or ability, giving the Player an additional +40% chance for success.

For example, if a storyteller asks your group to roll vs Investigation and you have purchased 5 points in Investigation, you will receive a +25% mod, meaning the number you roll will increase by 25 (unless the roll was below 10 - aka a Botch, which automatically fails.) If you rolled 50, then your final number will be 75.

NOTE: You can play with your skills before purchase to see which has the best modifiers in the Players' HUD in world. Select a skill and you will see which modifiers it improves. If you like what you see, purchase the skill. If not, deselect the skill and choose another.