Attributes

Attributes are the innate predispositions characters are born with that allow them to perform certain cognitive and physical tasks. Unlike traits, all attributes begin at 0, regardless of race and class. Attributes serve as prerequisites for gear (including armaments and equipment) and to acquire talents, skills, and traits.

As directed by each module or at the will of the GM, attribute scores may serve as modifiers to dice rolls — but only half the score (rounded down) can be used. For example, a physique score of 8 grants a +4 modifier to physique-related rolls. An intellect score of 7 grants +3 (half of 7 = 3.5, rounded down).

Each race begins with its own bonuses and penalties to traits, with no more than +5 or -5 points allocated respectively. Humans are the most balanced race with no bonuses or penalties. All humans begin with the same stats regardless of culture.

The Seven Attributes

• Artistry (ART)
• Fortitude (FRT)
• Intellect (INT)
• Perception (PRC)
• Physique (PHY)
• Resilience (RES)
• Wisdom (WIS)

Attribute Development

To develop attributes, at creation AND every new class level, players roll 1d6 nine times, discard the two lowest results, and assign the remaining 7 results as points to their respective slots in the attribute repository.

Each attribute can be assigned a number of points between 1 and 6 in its repository slot. Those points are spent to purchase:

• The score of the attribute (default cost: 3 points each), and/or
• Talents, skills, and traits (TST) aligned with that attribute (default cost: 2 points each), or
• Saved as remnants — leftover points held until the next level.

Once a point is spent to purchase an attribute score or TST, it cannot be refunded — it's locked in.

Caps and Minimums

• Characters may not apply more than 2 points of their roll results to any given attribute at every level of progression.
• No attribute may exceed a score of 30 (the overall attribute cap).
• Although there isn't a minimum (attributes can be 0), the cap of 2 points per level means most characters will have one high attribute and the rest significantly lower, encouraging specialization.
• Players should expect most attributes to fall between 8–15 unless they deliberately hyper-specialize.
• TST scores cannot exceed the score of their aligned attribute. You must have a score of at least 1 in an attribute before purchasing any TST aligned to it.
• There is no maximum number of TST types — if you have the remnants, you could have any number of TST at score 1.

Point Spending Example

If a roll result of 6 is assigned to Physique, you have 6 points to spend. First, the attribute needs a score of 1 at a cost of 3 points. This leaves 3 points — but you can't carry a balance higher than 2, so purchase a TST at 2 points, leaving 1 remnant to save until next level. (3 + 2 + 1 = 6.)

Sample Summary Table (Kaida, Barbarian Mountaineer)

Kaida's Physique is capped. She'll continue working on Resilience until it reaches 24, where her attribute points will be maxed out at 30. To reach Resilience of 24, she'll need to assign 2 points per level for 14 more levels (Level 29). At Level 30, she'll spend her points on TST.

Maintenance Fee

At each level of progression, characters are charged a maintenance fee. This covers armament repairs, ammunition, hygiene, and health supplies. Costs vary depending on the type or variant of each item or service.

Traits

Traits are essential capabilities that characters utilize to navigate challenges, resist damage, and assert dominance in combat. There are seventeen traits, each representing a specific aspect of a character's abilities. Traits can be used both defensively (to resist ongoing damage or effects) and offensively (to enhance combat effectiveness). Traits scores are capped at 10.

Traits are different from talents (more or less non-combat actions) and from skills (profession-related), giving players many ways to empower their characters.

Alignment with Attributes

Traits are closely aligned with talents and combat abilities associated with the same attribute. For example, traits linked to Physique influence talents related to physical strength and agility, while traits associated with Intellect impact mental skills and resistance. This alignment ensures character proficiency in talents and combat maneuvers is directly influenced by their traits and corresponding attributes.

Mechanics

When a character is subjected to damage, effects, or combat actions, they may choose to use a relevant trait. They roll a die, add relevant bonuses from their attributes and development points, and compare the total to a set DC or threshold.

• Success: The character resists the effect or enhances their attack.
• Failure: The effect or damage proceeds normally, or the offensive benefit is not gained.

Trait Variants

1. Agility  (ATT: Physique)

Represents quickness, balance, and speed. Helps evade ranged attacks and speed-based effects, and enhances offensive precision with ranged attacks.

• Resistance to martial ranged attacks, balance disruptions, and speed-based effects.
• Bonus to martial ranged attack rolls, damage, and critical hits.

2. Strength  (ATT: Physique)

Embodies brute force, physical power, and intimidation. Allows characters to grapple, break through defenses, and intimidate opponents.

• Bonus to melee attack rolls with two-handed and main-hand weapons, damage, and grapple checks.
• Increased damage output and control in melee combat; can be used to intimidate or push opponents.

3. Courage  (ATT: Fortitude)

Represents mental bravery and resolve, helping resist fear, intimidation, and mental control.

• Bonus to resist fear effects, intimidation attempts, and mental domination.
• Reduces effects of fear and intimidation.

4. Constitution  (ATT: Fortitude)

Indicates physical resilience, providing resistance to poison, disease, venom, bleeding, or other ongoing effects after initial damage.

• Bonus to rolls against poisons, diseases, and ongoing sicknesses.
• Resists ongoing sickness or poisoning effects; can also aid in recovery.

5. Vigilance  (ATT: Perception)

Reflects awareness, perception, and alertness, allowing characters to detect surprises and environmental hazards.

• Bonus to perception checks, awareness, and avoiding environmental dangers.
• Better detection of hazards, traps, and ambushes.

6. Intuition  (ATT: Perception)

Represents a character's instinctive sense for danger, hidden truths, or upcoming events. Allows quick judgments, anticipating enemy moves, and sensing deception or traps before fully revealed.

• Bonus to perception checks for sensing danger, detecting lies, or noticing subtle clues indicating hidden threats or deception.

7. Dexterity  (ATT: Artistry)

Represents quick reactions, agility, and deception. Helps in avoiding traps, dodging attacks, and performing stealth.

• Bonus to dodge, craftsmanship, trap avoidance, and deception checks.
• Quick strikes, bonuses to offhand martial attacks and close counter evasive maneuvers.

8. Deception  (ATT: Artistry)

Focuses on deception, mimicking death, and trickery to mislead opponents.

• Bonus to deception checks, feints, and mimicking death.
• Use deception to create openings or manipulate enemies.

9. Resistance  (ATT: Resilience)

Represents protection against spells and magic, including elemental damage. Resistance type is either given to races innately or players must choose where to assign scores.

• Bonus to resist spell damage, magical effects, and their mitigation checks.
• Example: Arctic Dwarves innately have +3 ice resistance but -5 to fire. They could offset this penalty, but at the cost of other traits.

10. Toughness  (ATT: Physique)

Represents the outer physical protection of a character — tough skin, dense muscles, and strong bones. Reflects natural durability and physical resilience against physical attacks and penetration. Also protects from nature-drawn elements.

• Adds an Armor Score bonus equal to the character's Toughness score, providing additional protection against physical damage.

11. Willpower  (ATT: Intellect)

Mental determination and the ability to resist intellectual mind control, temptation, and confusion.

• Bonus to resist mental influence, temptation, and confusion.
• Maintains mental clarity and resistance to mind effects.

12. Wit  (ATT: Intellect)

Mental resilience, sharp perception, and the ability to avoid deception or complex traps.

• Bonus to perception checks, trap detection, and mental defenses.
• Use wit to deceive or manipulate opponents.

13. Capacity  (ATT: Wisdom)

The amount of things a character can remember and store, including spells, languages, and lore.

• Sets the limit for how many spells, languages, and pieces of knowledge a character can actively retain and use.

14. Knowledge  (ATT: Wisdom)

Represents the depth of a character's learning and understanding — facts, history, theory, and accumulated experience.

• Bonus to skill checks involving lore, history, magical theory, technical expertise, and experience-based tasks.
• Characters with higher Knowledge gain increased experience rewards for tasks that grant experience.

15. Luck  (ATT: Perception)

Represents chance and fortune, allowing for various amounts of extra chances in both combat and non-combat situations. Luck grants a 1d4 bonus for every score in the trait.

• Luck (1) = 1d4 bonus  |  Luck (2) = 2d4  |  Luck (6) = 6d4 (or 4d6 for less dice)
• Characters must be proficient in the target they are trying to reach to use Luck.

Luck Bonus: Roll a number of four-sided dice equal to your Luck score, then add all results together.

Example: A Rogue tries to pick a lock with a DIFS of 50. He has Lock Picking (4) from the Thief Talent Tree and Luck (4) — rolling 4d4. Results: 2, 3, 1, 4 + 4 (LP) = 14. He then rolls d100 and gets 68. Total: 68 + 14 = 82. Since 82 exceeds the DIFS of 50, he succeeds.

Interval Frequency

The default interval for Luck 1 is every 50 rolls. With each increase in Luck score, the number of rolls before recharge decreases by 1.

Formula: Interval = 50 − (Luck Score − 1)

Example: Luck (4) → 50 − (4 − 1) = 47 rolls. Every 47 rolls the player can use their Luck bonus.

At Luck (10), the character gets a second chance at all rolls not related to Actions, such as loot and discovery.

16. Charisma  (ATT: Artistry)

Represents a character's personal magnetism, leadership, and ability to influence others. Affects social interactions, persuasion, intimidation, and the ability to rally allies or manipulate opponents. Also contributes to narrative advantages in roleplay scenarios — gaining favors or avoiding conflict through charm.

• Bonus to social rolls involving persuasion, intimidation, or deception.
• Use Charisma to sway or demoralize opponents, or to inspire allies in critical moments.

17. Defense  (ATT: Physique)

Determined by the type of character avoiding potential harm. Parry and Block require specific armaments (2H weapon or Bracers of Defense for Parry; a shield for Block). Dodge requires light armor and speed. Defense is factored into the character's overall defensive score (DEFS), along with Armor Score and other defensive factors such as the trait Agility.

DEFS = Armor Score (AS) + any defensive enhancements