Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition merit
Acute Senses
Acute Senses is a merit in Vampire V5: sharpening one or more senses, at the price of sensory overload.
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Overview
Acute Senses means one or more of your senses works far better than a mortal's or an ordinary Kindred's. You catch a heartbeat through a wall, a faint perfume on a stranger, or the click of a safety being thumbed off in the next room. The same sensitivity is a liability. Sirens, strobe lights, and crowded clubs hit you harder than they hit anyone else, and a clever enemy can weaponize that.
How it works
Effect: Bonus dice on Awareness and other perception rolls that rely on the heightened sense. The Storyteller may let you notice details without a roll when the sense is relevant. Drawback: Overwhelming stimuli (flashbangs, blaring alarms, tear gas) impose a penalty or force you to withdraw until the source stops. Cost: Recorded as a single merit on the RPG Stack sheet; after creation, merits are bought at the new dot times 3 XP rate listed in this system's advancement table. Synergies: Stacks with Auspex for investigators, and with Wits for characters who need to react first.
Tips and playstyle
Character concepts: Bloodhound-style hunter, sommelier turned Kindred, night watchman, bomb-disposal veteran. When to take: Take it if your coterie lacks a scout or investigator. Skip it if you play in a chronicle heavy on urban chaos where the drawback fires constantly.
Frequently asked questions
Does Acute Senses stack with Heightened Senses from Auspex?
Yes. The merit is a permanent physical trait, while the Auspex power is an activated Discipline effect. Both bonuses apply when the Storyteller allows a roll.
Can I choose which sense is sharpened?
Choose one sense when you take the merit and note it on your sheet. Some tables let you take the merit more than once for different senses.