Specialties represent a particular focus and proficiency related to the character’s concept or profession. Some characters are especially good at particular applications of their Traits. For example, a mechanic might be particularly good with muscle cars, a sprinter may be swift-footed, a thief might excel at breaking and entering, a driver may be especially good at off-road maneuvers, or a brawler might be infamous as a dirty fighter.

A specialty is a particular subcategory or facet of an Attribute or Ability — thus, a character with a Strength 5 might choose to be especially adept in dead-lifting, while a character with Performance 4 might be renowned for her singing.

Players should clear any specialties with the Storyteller, who can veto any specialties that are too broad (such as “guns” for Firearms or “healing” for Medicine) or that focus solely on game mechanics (“dealing damage” for Strength or “soak rolls” for Stamina). The player and Storyteller should work together to express the character’s concept through specialties.

An adjective that further describes and defines the substance of an attribute. Characters with ratings of 4 or 5 in Attributes may choose to buy specialties for those Traits with bonus or experience points. You may take one specialty per attribute; when your character's specialty comes into play, you add another die to your pool.

A specialty, bought with bonus or experience points, represents an even narrower skill area for an ability. You may take up to three specialties per ability; when your character's specialty comes into play, you add another die to your pool.

So, if a character has two dots in Brawl but has a “Cheap Shot” specialty, he effectively has three dots in Brawl whenever he tries to pummel a groin or gouge an eye.