Attributes are the core competencies that make up a character’s basic capabilities. They represent their physical and mental aptitudes toward certain tasks and activities, and every character uses these throughout their day to day lives as well as the dangerous moments of adventure. Every character begins play with all Attributes at their base level by default, with one Attribute slightly higher than normal. Characters may take lower Attributes as a Flaw for extra points at Character Creation, or may spend experience points to increase their Attributes during or after creation.
Terrible Attributes Ө
Terrible Attributes are a serious Flaw, representing some serious disadvantage of health, birth, or aptitude.
Cost: +10 Experience Points. Can be removed for 10 Personal Achievements.
Ordinary Attributes О
Ordinary Attributes are the default, and have no advantage or disadvantage.
Cost: 0 Experience Points
Sound Attributes ʘ
Sound Attributes unlock access to special, more powerful Skills. When unlocked, these grant the first Skill Rank of that Skill. If the character already had that Skill from Creation, they instead purchase the next rank at a 2 Experience Point discount. This also provides a specific type of crafting Effort that is specific to each Attribute. All of these Effort bonuses are cumulative with one another.
Cost: 5 Experience Points
Impressive Attributes ʘʘ
Impressive Attributes grant a special power related to that Attribute, and are uncommon in the world, representing perhaps the top 15% of people.
Cost: 10 Experience Points
Great Attributes ʘʘʘ
Great Attributes grant an additional special power, and represent the peak of normal human potential. They are incredibly rare, held by perhaps the top 1% of people.
Cost: 10 Personal Achievement Points
Poisons and other effects, such as magic and disease, can damage the Attributes themselves. If Attributes should fall below the Terrible Attribute Ө range the character suffers an immediate catastrophic state, the nature of which is determined by whichever Attribute is affected. Attributes being reduced to two steps below Terrible always result in death.
Strength: Muscles cannot move. Immediate death by heart-attack.
Speed: Full body paralysis. The subject collapses and cannot move until the drug wears off.
Fortitude: Immune system failure. Immediately enters Dying state
Faith: Catastrophic delusional episode. Gain a new Crippling Delusion.
Intellect: Neurological shutdown and brain damage. Total brain death.
Resolve: Catastrophic psychotic episode: Gain a new Crippling Obsession or Phobia
A character’s brute physical strength. Strong characters will be burly and powerful, capable of carrying heavy loads and effectively fighting with larger weapons.
Terrible Strength Ө
The character is exceptionally scrawny and weak, unable to deal damage with any kind of melee, lift anything heavier than 5 pounds, including any armor worn, or draw a bow. All Gathering Skills are treated as if they are one rank lower,
Sound Strength ʘ
The character is lean and muscled, able to throw their back into their actions and heft heavy objects easily. Unlocks and grants the first Skill Rank of the Heavy Weapons Skill.
Strength is helpful for Blacksmithing, and provides an additional Blacksmithing Effort each Action Cycle.
Impressive Strength ʘʘ
The character is well muscled and imposing, able to direct great amounts of force into their actions. The character gains the Brawn ability.
BRAWN
The character is strong enough that lesser opponents are smashed and knocked around the battleground, nearly knocked off their feet by the force of your blows. For any weapon or Brawling attack or touch that physically connects, even if the damage is prevented by being physically parried, defended against with a Defense call like Dodge, Parry, or Armor, the character can deliver additional force and call Stagger against their opponent.
Additionally, the character is powerful enough to break open locked doors, chests, or other inanimate obstacles. The character may Exert to call Sunder on an object that the character has control over, breaking it in their hands. Note than some items are immune to Sunder, and this only works for stationary objects, not for things like shields or armor in combat.
As well, they may lift things that are too heavy for ordinary people to lift alone, such as carrying a human body.
Additionally, the character gains two more Blacksmithing Effort each Action Cycle.
Great Strength ʘʘʘ
The character is a towering figure of muscle, exuding raw physical power. When his blows crash against their target, there is no hope of stopping them – they are simply too powerful. Whenever the character would call Stagger, including from Brawn, they may instead call Slam. Additionally, anytime the character adds Mighty to a Combat Condition they may also add Power to that condition.
The character gains 3 more Blacksmithing Effort each Action Cycle.
SPEED
A character’s deftness of hands and feet. Speed embodies the ability to move quickly rather than with force. A fast character is quick on their feet, graceful, can be seen acting first in a situation and being good with light to medium weapons.
Terrible Speed Ө
The character is clumsy and awkward. Sleight of hand and quick footwork completely elude her and she seems to take longer to do anything, often making the situation worse trying to compensate with her poor dexterity. The character misses the first Action Cycle, only being able to take 2 Actions each Event. This includes submitting Gathering Tasks, but not other kinds of Tasks. Additionally, the character lacks the coordination to ever effectively use ranged attacks or the Quick quality in any circumstance.
Sound Speed ʘ
The character is well-coordinated and can use their body as one instrument. Unlocks and grants the first Skill Rank of the Finesse Skill.
Speed is helpful for Needlework, and provides an additional Needlework Effort each Action Cycle.
Impressive Speed ʘʘ
The character’s agility and coordination allow her to twist and move with a powerful, feline grace. The character can maintain their balance even in difficult conditions, and becomes immune to the Stagger Condition.
Unlocks the Acrobatics ability.
Acrobatics
Passive Ability
Slippery like an eel, yet moving with obvious power and dancer’s grace, the character can twist and roll out of the way of incoming attacks unless she is truly hedged in. As long as the character is not Exhausted, they may tumble or cartwheel, touching both hands or their shoulder to the ground, in response to a Hit or Condition in order to call Dodge against that Hit or Condition.
Also, the character is able to break free of a situation, finding an unlikely route, creating an obstruction, or plainly outrunning pursuers, and can make a dash for freedom. If a character can get 20 feet from their closest pursuer and can still move, they may call “Escape” as a Quality and use the Ignore hand gesture to use their speed or surroundings to prevent pursuers from reasonably continuing the chase, escaping from the scene. Those with this same ability may call “Escape Reveal” to prevent the character from using Ignore to leave the scene.
Restriction: Acrobatics is only usable in Light armor or no armor.
Additionally, the character gains 2 more Needlework Effort each Action Cycle.
Great Speed ʘʘʘ
The character has almost inhuman grace and coordination. Her movements are so rapid that she can preempt the actions of others and stop attacks against her before they can be dangerous. As long as the character is not Exhausted they may call Dodge against Hits once per Beat. Additionally, anytime the character adds Quick to a Combat Condition they may also add Power to that condition.
The character gains 3 more Needlework Effort each Action Cycle.
FORTITUDE
A character’s physical endurance and stamina. A character with high fortitude can exert the same physical force for a much longer duration, such as running a long distance or staying conscious after enduring trauma. This also represents how physically robust and resilient to harm the character is.
Terrible Fortitude Ө
The character is unhealthy and weak. Their constitution cannot endure the trauma that others can, and they can’t recover from serious injury. If the character becomes Downed, they instead immediately enter the Dying state.
Sound Fortitude ʘ
The character is built sturdy – strong posture and good endurance, able to maintain heavy weights for long periods of time without tiring. Unlocks and grants the first Skill Rank of the Grit Skill.
Fortitude is helpful for Apothecary, as they can work faster without fear of poisoning themselves. This provides an additional Apothecary Effort each Action Cycle.
Impressive Fortitude ʘʘ
The character is extremely robust and enduring, able to shrug off injuries that might kill others and keep going when others would be too tired to function. The character may call Toughness once per Rest. Additionally, while the character is Tired they may continue to use any abilities that normally require them to be Fresh.
The character also gains 2 more Apothecary Effort each Action Cycle.
Great Fortitude ʘʘʘ
Like an unbending iron bar, the character is incredibly resilient, able through sheer bodily mettle shrug away even the most savage of blows and dreadfully continuing where others would surely be simply dead. The character’s limb Injuries recover automatically after a Period of rest, and they gain yet another use of Toughness each Rest.
Additionally, the character has 3 more Apothecary Effort each Action Cycle.
RESOLVE
A character’s inner will and determination. Resolve is the ability to persevere through opposition, whether mental or physical. Someone of weak will is easily tortured for information, convinced to follow, or cowed. Resolve is also the mental determination to resist surrender and pain, as well as a character’s ability to concentrate for long periods of time. For guild mages, resolve also helps them resist cracking under the tremendous strain of their own power.
Terrible Resolve Ө
The character is completely lacking in mental discipline and wherewithal, often believing the last thing that someone told him and taking on the opinions of others as necessary to fit in or get by. As well, they have trouble standing up for themselves or showing determination when it’s needed most. The character is unable to use the Discipline or Nerve calls.
Sound Resolve ʘ
A steely surety backs all the character does, and he is in clear possession of his mental and emotional faculties. Unlocks and grants the first Skill Rank of the Courage Skill.
The character also has the concentration and patience for detail that helps make a truly great Carpenter. At this level they gain 1 more Carpentry Effort each Action Cycle.
Impressive Resolve ʘʘ
The character is able to persevere through any difficulty, using her incredible focus to complete the task at hand, no matter what. The character is immune to the Misery Condition and; also they may call Discipline and Nerve once per Rest.
The character also gains 2 Carpentry Effort each Action Cycle.
Great Resolve ʘʘʘ
Possessed of incredible will and determination, the character takes almost no time for unimportant things. When the situation demands their focus and attention, they can move mountains with their determination. The character is no longer affected by Despair. If this condition is temporary, Despair should still be tracked to apply later.
In addition, once per Event the character may reduce the severity of an Insanity on their sheet. They may use this to entirely remove Mild Insanities.
The character gains 3 more Carpentry Effort each Action Cycle.
FAITH
Faith is a character’s strength of ideals and convictions. Whether it be their be their belief in a higher power or their personal code of ethics, Faith measures how strongly their personal beliefs affect their life. High levels of Faith increase the rigidity of a character’s actions – they have answered the personal questions that others still struggle with, and know their own path intimately. When they stray from that path, such as a Personal Failure, they feel the effects more harshly than others.
Terrible Faith Ө
The character is troubled, jaded and confused about the meaning of the world. Their lack of personal certitude means they cannot experience Inspiration or enter the Devoted condition. The character may not call upon their Bonds, Beliefs or Devotion to call Nerve.
Sound Faith ʘ
The character’s Faith is a firm pillar in her life, able to be relied upon and believed in, and her life is fully guided by her principles and ideals. Unlocks and grants the first Skill Rank of the Zeal Skill. The character may now endure up to 6 Depravity before gaining Insanities from it.
Impressive Faith ʘʘ
The character’s devotion to her personal ideals are the fire in her heart, able to push her to action and snuff out remorse and doubt. When in the Devoted condition, they increase a Skill by 2 Ranks instead of 1. Characters in the Focused state gain an additional universal Discipline while they are Focused. The character may now endure up to 7 Depravity before gaining Insanities from it. Priests and Paladins gain additional benefits described in their sections.
Great Faith ʘʘʘ
Undying fire, relentless prosecution. The character has a fanatic drive inside her that is without limits or shame; an unstoppable personality that inspires and terrifies those around her. When in the Devoted condition, they increase a Skill by 3 Ranks instead of 2. Characters in the Focused state gain an additional universal Discipline while they are Focused. Additionally, the character may add, change, or remove a single Belief once per Event. The character may now endure up to 8 Depravity before gaining Insanities from it. Priests and Paladins gain additional benefits described in their sections.
INTELLECT
A character’s intellect is their ability to process raw information into something immediately useful quickly and easily. A character with high Intellect can appraise a situation better, as well as perceive their surroundings quickly while taking relevant note of it.
Terrible Intellect Ө
The character is dull of wit, perhaps an error of birth, and cannot speak correctly, understand any abstract concept, such as a throne is anything but a large chair, and must always wait three seconds before responding to any attempt to communicate a concept more complicated than someone physically attacking you. The character only knows their native language at character creation.
Sound Intellect ʘ
Exposed to a wide array of information and possessing an excellent memory, the character is able to recall vast amounts of knowledge and grasps the fundamentals of learning such that they can teach themselves additional information if need be. Unlocks and grants the first Rank of the Academics Skill.
Such cleverness is also helpful to the mechanist, and so the character gains an additional Engineering or Research Effort each Action Cycle.
Impressive Intellect ʘʘ
The character has a keen mind that rapidly reacts and can maintain higher learning through continuous, self-driven education. The character gains the Insight ability.
INSIGHT
Passive Ability
By reading body language, watching for cues, analyzing behavior and checking and rechecking your expectations, you can get incredibly accurate information from small details. At the very end of a scene in which you witness someone take the effects of an Obey call, you may ask them, out of character, a single question pertaining to the subject matter of that successful command.
For instance, if one agreed to eat a meal with someone with Provocation, you cannot then ask them if they plan to kill the ruler. If you threaten them about their conspiracy and warn them the price of treachery with Intimidate, you could then gain that Insight from their reaction. The person you gain the Insight from must answer truthfully your question, and they can give as much or as little context to that true answer they wish. If that character also has Insight, they may give any answer they wish to this question. Even if you affect multiple people with your Obey calls, you can only use Insight on a single character per scene, and only regarding the subject matter of those successful Obey uses.
The character also gains 2 more Engineering or Research Effort each Action Cycle.
Great Intellect ʘʘʘ
The character’s towering Intellect puts them in a class of their own and they see the world totally differently than their dimmer fellows. The character can think dozens of moves ahead of others, solve problems before they arise and create totally novel ideas that solve existing problems. The character is always treated as if they meet the Bonus Knowledge requirements on any Trial Tag.
In additional, Staff may occasionally give the character hints or clues towards new ideas or inventions they could uncover.
The character gains 3 more Engineering or Research Effort each Action Cycle.
