Characters
Stats
Stats are any measurable property belonging to a character, typically represented by dice or a number. Some stats, like resources and defences are derived from other features, like attributes. They can vary in scope, meaning they can be very broad or very specific.
Attributes
The most important stat that a character has are their attributes. They describe the core aspects of your character and are used when performing any game action that requires a dice roll.
Table: Attributes
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Strength (STR) | Physical ability of raw force and durability |
| Dexterity (DEX) | Physical ability of speed and accuracy |
| Intellect (INT) | Mental ability for discovery and memory |
| Resolve (RES) | Mental ability to command and resist |
Each attribute is represented by dice ranging from d4 to d12.
Table: Attribute Dice
| Size | Description |
|---|---|
| d4 | Weak |
| d6 | Average |
| d8 | Great |
| d10 | Excellent |
| d12 | Superb |
A character who is a bodybuilder could be described as having excellent strength which would be a d10.
Resources
Surviving damage and using special abilities requires managing one's resources. All resources are represented by a number showing the maximum amount of that resource a character can have. Once a resource becomes depleted it can no longer be used until recovered.
Table: Resources
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Health (HP) | For lasting injuries that are difficult to heal |
| Endurance (ED) | For superficial injuries that are easy to heal |
| Stamina (ST) | To use physical special abilities |
| Focus (FC) | To use mental and social special abilities |
| Fate | For influencing circumstance and chance |
Performing the escape maneuver, to hide in plain sight from enemies, requires spending stamina.
Using the power of telekinesis, to move objects with the mind, requires spending focus.
Defences
When things happen to your character, your defences are used to measure your ability to passively response to those effects.
Table: Defences
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Constitution (CON) | Passive ability to shrug off effects that would influence the body |
| Reflexes (REFL) | Passive ability to avoid attacks and effects targeted at the body |
| Willpower (WILL) | Passive ability to ignore effects that would influence the mind |
| Deflection (DEF) | Passive ability to reduce the amount of damage the body takes |
Other Stats
Table: Other Stats
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Size (SZ) | Physical space that the body requires |
| Speed (SPD) | Distance the character can move over a short time |
| Encumbrance (ENC) | Amount of items that can be carried easily |
| Capacity (CAP) | Maximum number of items that can be carried |
Table: Sizes
| Size | Name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miniscule | Crow, Garden Snake, Mouse, Rabbit, Squirrel |
| 2 | Tiny | Badger, Cat, Eagle, Fox, Raccoon, Viper |
| 3 | Small | Boa, Boar, Dog, Lynx, Python, Wolf |
| 4 | Medium | Anaconda, Deer, Human, Sun Bear |
| 5 | Large | Black Bear, Cheetah, Elk, Leopard, Lion, Panda, Pony, Tiger |
| 6 | Huge | Cow, Grizzly Bear, Horse, Polar Bear |
| 7 | Gigantic | Bison, Giraffe, Hippo, Rhino |
| 8 | Enormous | Elephant, Giant Squid, Titanoboa |
| 9 | Massive | Dragon |
| 10 | Tremendous | Megalodon |
| 11 | Colossal | Kraken |
| 12 | Titanic | Blue Whale |
Skills
Skills represent practice in performing various groups of general tasks. Like attributes, skills are represented by dice and are rolled with your attributes to perform tasks.
Table: Skill Dice
| Size | Description |
|---|---|
| d4 | Untrained |
| d6 | Trained |
| d8 | Adept |
| d10 | Expert |
| d12 | Master |
Most tasks are handled by the mundane skills. These represent groups of normal activities that most characters can perform while interacting with the world.
Table: Mundane Skills
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Agility (AGI) | Activities that require speed, precision, and balance |
| Athletics (ATH) | Activities that require stability, hardiness, and brute force |
| Charisma (CHA) | All forms of social interaction, inspiration, and manipulation |
| Combat (CMB) | Attacking enemies with the body or weaponry |
| Craft (CRA) | Creating or modifying objects, tools, items, gadgets, and mechanisms |
| Handling (HAN) | Using the hands to perform precise, subtle, or mechanical activities |
| Insight (INS) | Recalling knowledge or creating new information from circumstance |
| Networking (NET) | Navigating social networks to find people and their connections |
| Perception (PER) | Discovering things and information in the environment using the senses |
| Taming (TAM) | Communicating with animals and beasts using body language and intent |
Other types of tasks that are beyond the normal space of interaction are handled by the supernatural skills. Supernatural skills are primarily for using powers, which includes abilities of both a magical and nonmagical origin.
Table: Supernatural Skills
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Animism | Magic powers utilizing the forces of nature |
| Communion | Magic powers derived from the powers of another entity |
| Ki | Nonmagic powers released by manipulating one's own auras |
| Psionics | Nonmagic powers projected from within the mind |
| Sorcery | Magic powers created from within oneself |
| Superpowers | Nonmagic powers extending the limits of the body |
| Wizardry | Magic powers mastered through careful study |
Proficiencies
Proficiencies are more precise forms of expertise that a character can learn, like a type of knowledge, specific activity, or familiar environment. Unlike attributes and skills, they are not represented by dice, instead they are represented by a number as a bonus ranging from +1 to +4.
Table: Proficiency Bonuses
| Bonus | Description |
|---|---|
| - | Untrained |
| +1 | Trained |
| +2 | Adept |
| +3 | Expert |
| +4 | Master |
A character can have a proficiency in more or less anything that a player can imagine. Proficiencies should be broad enough to be usable in at least a few different activities but specific enough to encompass a single theme. There is also a recommended list of proficiencies to help players make decisions and help with consistent theming.
Table: Example Proficiencies
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Aethermancy | |
| Boreal | Exceptionally cold areas typically covered in vast amounts of snow or ice |
| Cooking | Preparing all kinds of meals |
| Driving | Operating motorized land vehicles |
| Explosives | Craft bombs, firecrackers, and other combustibles |
| Gangland | Connected to high-level organized crime |
| Iron Jungle | Any area constructed from artificial means (especially metal) with zero visible natural features |
| Jumping | Leaping vertically or across a distance |
| Peace | |
| Pyromancy | |
| Swimming | Propelling oneself through water |
| Telepathy | |
| Wetlands | Swamps, marshes, or any area covered in waterlogged land |
| Woodlands | Temperate areas covered with trees |
Proficiencies are not exclusive, meaning that any other reasonable substitute for a proficiency can be used in the same circumstance.
A character attempting to ride a horse could use a proficiency in riding or horses.
A character attempting to track an animal in the woods could use a proficiency in tracking or woodlands.
Languages
The languages that a character can speak are also a type of proficiency and are acquired and represented the same way. Characters are considered masters of their native languages and characters who have mastery in a language never need to roll dice to use it.
To simplify language use, all characters are typically considered to share a common language.
Stats Proficiencies
Some specific proficiencies also modify certain character stats in addition to being useful for performing various activities like normal proficiencies.
Table: Stats Proficiencies
| Name | Stat | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dodge | Reflexes | Defending by evading attacks and directed effects |
| Fortitude | Constitution | Defending by bracing oneself against physical effects and conditions |
| Lifting | Capacity | Carrying and moving heavy objects |
| Resistance | Willpower | Defending by resisting mental effects and conditions |
| Running | Speed | Traveling on foot at a fast pace |
| Search | Passive Perception | Finding hidden objects or creatures |
Archetypes
Your archetype is built from three parts that work together to provide a rough summary of who your character is.
Table: Archetype Features
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Ancestry | The culture or genetics that shape your character |
| Background | How your character spent their early life |
| Class | The role your character currently plays |
Aenwyn is an Elven blacksmith and rogue.
Baldur is a Dwarven bartender and fighter.
Crowley is a British scholar and investigator.
Each part of an archetype also provides other small bonuses that help define your character mechanically, like which skills and proficiencies they are trained in.
Talents and Traits
?
Maneuvers and Powers
?