Streetwise (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Definition
Streetwise is knowing how a city works underneath the version on the map: which corner belongs to whom, where to sell something that cannot be sold legally, which bar will not call the police, and what a particular silence means. It is knowledge and contacts together, and it goes stale if you stop using it. For Kindred it is the most reliable hunting skill there is. The people nobody reports missing, the districts with no cameras, the party that will still be going at four: all Streetwise. It is also the counterpart to Politics. One tells you who runs the court, the other tells you who runs the block the court has never visited.
How it works
Tips
Frequently asked questions
Is Streetwise the same as Contacts?
No. Streetwise is what you know and how you carry yourself. Contacts is a background of specific people who owe you a conversation. They work best together.
Does Streetwise transfer to a new city?
The instincts do, the specifics do not. Expect a penalty until your character has spent weeks learning who holds what, which is a good hook for a relocation story.
Is it useful in a political chronicle?
Yes. Courts need things done off the books, and a neonate who can source a weapon, a body, or a safe house is useful to elders who cannot be seen doing it.