Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition skill
Athletics
Athletics is a skill in Vampire V5: Running, climbing, jumping, swimming, and dodging, the skill that gets you out of trouble.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Category
- physical
Overview
Athletics covers what your body does under pressure that is not throwing a punch: sprinting down an alley, going over a chain-link fence, swimming a canal, catching a ledge on the way down. For Kindred it is also the skill Celerity rides on, since supernatural speed still needs a body that knows where to put its feet. It comes up more than any other physical skill, because most vampire scenes end in leaving. Chases through a parking garage, a rooftop crossing to break line of sight, dodging a hunter's first shot before anyone has decided whether this is a fight: all Athletics. It is also the skill Storytellers reach for when they want a consequence that hurts without turning into combat.
How it works
Common Rolls:
- Strength + Athletics: Climbing, jumping, throwing
- Dexterity + Athletics: Running, dodging, acrobatics
- Stamina + Athletics: Swimming long distances, sustained exertion Defense: Dodging a ranged attack is Dexterity + Athletics, which makes this the most common defensive roll for characters who do not want to close to melee. Specialties: Climbing, Swimming, Running, Throwing, Jumping, Parkour
Tips and playstyle
Character Concepts: Free runner, ex-athlete, roofer, courier, soldier who did a lot of ground work, dancer who never stopped training. Synergies: Celerity turns good Athletics into unfollowable movement. Stealth pairs with it for approach and escape, and Survival covers the terrain Athletics cannot cross.
Frequently asked questions
Is Athletics my dodge roll?
For ranged attacks, yes: Dexterity plus Athletics. In close combat most tables let you defend with Brawl or Melee instead, so a fighter still needs one of those.
Does Celerity replace Athletics?
No. Celerity adds dice and extra actions to what your Athletics rating can already do, so a vampire with high Celerity and no Athletics is fast and clumsy.
Is it worth more than two dots?
For a physical character, yes. Escapes and chases happen in almost every session, and Athletics is one of the few skills that keeps a bad night from becoming a fatal one.