Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition merit
Ambidextrous
Ambidextrous is a merit in Vampire V5: letting you use either hand without an off-hand penalty.
Last reviewed
Overview
Ambidextrous characters have no dominant hand. Firing a pistol with the left while the right is pinned, writing with either hand to disguise a note, or fighting with a blade in each fist all come naturally. It is a small, always-on advantage. It rarely decides a scene, but it removes an entire class of penalties that other characters have to eat.
How it works
Effect: Ignore the off-hand penalty when acting with your non-dominant hand, including two-weapon fighting and using a weapon after an arm injury. Cost: A single-checkbox merit on the RPG Stack sheet; buy it with XP after creation at the new dot times 3 XP rate if your Storyteller allows. Synergies: Firearms or Melee builds that want a weapon in each hand, and Celerity users, whose rating already adds to the Dexterity pools those attacks draw on.
Tips and playstyle
Character concepts: Duelist, knife fighter, pianist, surgeon, gunslinger with a pistol in each hand. When to take: Worth it for physical combatants who expect to be grappled or wounded. Social or intellectual builds get little out of it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ambidextrous give me an extra attack?
No. It removes the penalty for using your off hand. Extra actions still come from Celerity or Storyteller rulings on split dice pools.
Can I take Ambidextrous after character creation?
Yes, with a story reason. Many Storytellers allow physical merits to be bought with XP if the character has trained toward them.