Szatany
First Post
Preview IV - Attributes
Or simply old ability scores, including generation method I think might be a little complex at first but should produce failry balanced characters.
Also, I tried to de-emphasise abilities so a character with mediocre scores is still a playable one.
From chapter: basics
GENERATING ATTRIBUTE SCORES
You determine your character’s attribute scores by dice rolls. Follow the steps:
• Roll 3d6 six times and record the results.
• Then assign them to the six attributes any way you like.
• Then improve each score below 8 to 8.
• Then, if you have no score above 15, choose the highest score and raise it to 16.
• Then, if you have no score above 13 (not counting the first score of 16 or more), choose the highest score and raise it to 14.
• Then, if you have no score above 11 (not counting the ones above), choose the highest score and raise it to 12.
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS
Each attribute, after changes made because of race, has a modifier ranging from –4 to +5. Table: Attribute Modifiers and Bonus Spells/Maneuvers shows the modifier for each score. It also shows bonus spells and maneuvers, which you’ll need to know about depending on which class you choose.
The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that attribute. You also use the modifier with some numbers that aren’t die rolls. A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
Table: Attribute Modifiers and Maneuvers / Spells
ATTRIBUTES AND SPELLS/MANEUVERS
The attribute that governs bonus spells or maneuvers depends on the class: Strength for fighters, Dexterity for rangers and rogues, Constitution for berserkers, Intellect for wizards; Wisdom for clerics and druids; or Charisma for paladins and warlocks. In addition to having a high attribute score, a character must be of high enough class level to be able to cast spells or use maneuvers of a given circle. (See the chapter: spells and chapter: maneuvers for details.)
Physical attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution) are tied to maneuvers while mental attributes (Intellect, Wisdom, Charisma) are tied spells.
THE ATTRIBUTES
Each attribute partially describes your character and affects some of his or her actions.
STRENGTH (STR)
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This attribute is especially important for fighters, berserkers, and paladins because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
You apply your character’s Strength modifier to:
• Battle Ability checks when making melee attack rolls and Parry saves.
• Damage rolls when using a melee weapon, thrown weapon, slings, and bow.
• Athletics and Ride checks. Those are the skills that have Strength as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Strength score to:
• Carrying capacity.
• Fighter’s bonus maneuvers. Also the minimum Strength score needed to learn or execute a fighter maneuver is 10 + the maneuver’s circle.
DEXTERITY (DEX)
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This attribute is the most important one for rangers and rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light armor (warlocks) or no armor at all (wizards, and druids), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
You apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to:
• Battle Ability checks when making ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, crossbows, throwing axes, and such.
• Damage rolls when using crossbows and firearms.
• Reflex saves.
• Agility, Manual Dexterity, and Stealth checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Dexterity score to:
• Ranger’s and rogue’s bonus maneuvers. Also the minimum Dexterity score needed to learn or execute a ranger or rogue maneuver is 10 + the maneuver’s circle.
CONSTITUTION (CON)
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the attribute is important for all classes.
You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to:
• Stamina defense.
• The number of Hit Points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 Hit Point per level.)
You apply your character’s Constitution score to:
• Hit Points at 1st level.
• Berserker’s bonus maneuvers. Also, the minimum Constitution score needed to learn or execute a barbarian maneuver is 10 + the maneuver’s circle.
INTELLECT (INT)
Intellect determines how well your character learns and reasons. This attribute is most important for wizards but it’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
You apply your character’s Intellect modifier to:
• The number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.)
• Magic Ability checks when making Disrupt saves.
• Magic Ability checks with wizard spells.
• Education, Mechanical Talent, Medicine, Survival, and Trade checks. These are the skills that have Intellect as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Intellect score to:
• Skill Points at 1st level.
• Wizard’s bonus spells. Also, the minimum Intellect score needed to learn or cast a wizard spells is 10 + the spell’s circle.
An animal has an Intellect score of up to 4. A creature of humanlike Intellect has a score of at least 5.
WISDOM (WIS)
Wisdom describes a character’s piety, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intellect represents one’s ability to analyze information Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important attribute for clerics and druids. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
You apply your character’s Wisdom modifier to:
• Magic Ability checks with cleric and druid spells.
• Fate Points.
• Intuition and Perception checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Wisdom score to:
• Cleric’s and druid’s bonus spells. Also, the minimum Wisdom score needed to learn or cast a cleric or druid spell is 10 + the spell’s circle.
CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, will, persuasiveness, and ability to lead. This attribute represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins and warlocks. Every creature has a Charisma score.
You apply your character’s Charisma modifier to:
• Will defense.
• Magic Ability checks with paladin and warlock spells.
• Charm, Command, Diplomacy, Handle Animals, and Performance checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Charisma score to:
• Paladin’s and warlock’s bonus spells. The minimum Charisma score needed to learn or cast a paladin or warlock spell is 10 + the spell’s circle.
When an attribute score changes permanently (by gaining level for example), all values associated with that score change accordingly. A character does retroactively get additional skill points or hit points for previous levels if she increases her Intellect and/or Constitution.
Several important values are not affected by attributes. Character’s Armor defense and Speed are prime examples.
Or simply old ability scores, including generation method I think might be a little complex at first but should produce failry balanced characters.
Also, I tried to de-emphasise abilities so a character with mediocre scores is still a playable one.
From chapter: basics
GENERATING ATTRIBUTE SCORES
You determine your character’s attribute scores by dice rolls. Follow the steps:
• Roll 3d6 six times and record the results.
• Then assign them to the six attributes any way you like.
• Then improve each score below 8 to 8.
• Then, if you have no score above 15, choose the highest score and raise it to 16.
• Then, if you have no score above 13 (not counting the first score of 16 or more), choose the highest score and raise it to 14.
• Then, if you have no score above 11 (not counting the ones above), choose the highest score and raise it to 12.
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS
Each attribute, after changes made because of race, has a modifier ranging from –4 to +5. Table: Attribute Modifiers and Bonus Spells/Maneuvers shows the modifier for each score. It also shows bonus spells and maneuvers, which you’ll need to know about depending on which class you choose.
The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that attribute. You also use the modifier with some numbers that aren’t die rolls. A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
Table: Attribute Modifiers and Maneuvers / Spells
Code:
[B]Score Modifier Maneuvers/Spells tied to this attribute[/B]
1 –9 Can’t cast spells or execute maneuvers
2 –8
3 –7
4 –6
5 –5
6 –4
7 –3
8 –2
9 –1
10 +0
11 +0 Can use spells/maneuvers of 1st circle
12 +1 Can use spells/maneuvers of 2nd circle
13 +1 Can use spells/maneuvers of 3rd circle
14 +2 Can use spells/maneuvers of 4th circle
15 +2 Can use spells/maneuvers of 5th circle
16 +3 Can use spells/maneuvers of 6th circle
17 +3 Can use spells/maneuvers of 7th circle
18 +4 +1 spell/maneuver of 1st circle
19 +4 +1 spell/maneuver of 2nd circle
20 +5 +1 spell/maneuver of 3rd circle
21 +5 +1 spell/maneuver of 4th circle
22 +6 +1 spell/maneuver of 5th circle
23 +6 +1 spell/maneuver of 6th circle
24 +7 +1 spell/maneuver of 7th circleATTRIBUTES AND SPELLS/MANEUVERS
The attribute that governs bonus spells or maneuvers depends on the class: Strength for fighters, Dexterity for rangers and rogues, Constitution for berserkers, Intellect for wizards; Wisdom for clerics and druids; or Charisma for paladins and warlocks. In addition to having a high attribute score, a character must be of high enough class level to be able to cast spells or use maneuvers of a given circle. (See the chapter: spells and chapter: maneuvers for details.)
Physical attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution) are tied to maneuvers while mental attributes (Intellect, Wisdom, Charisma) are tied spells.
THE ATTRIBUTES
Each attribute partially describes your character and affects some of his or her actions.
STRENGTH (STR)
Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power. This attribute is especially important for fighters, berserkers, and paladins because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry.
You apply your character’s Strength modifier to:
• Battle Ability checks when making melee attack rolls and Parry saves.
• Damage rolls when using a melee weapon, thrown weapon, slings, and bow.
• Athletics and Ride checks. Those are the skills that have Strength as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Strength score to:
• Carrying capacity.
• Fighter’s bonus maneuvers. Also the minimum Strength score needed to learn or execute a fighter maneuver is 10 + the maneuver’s circle.
DEXTERITY (DEX)
Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This attribute is the most important one for rangers and rogues, but it’s also high on the list for characters who typically wear light armor (warlocks) or no armor at all (wizards, and druids), and for anyone who wants to be a skilled archer.
You apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to:
• Battle Ability checks when making ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, crossbows, throwing axes, and such.
• Damage rolls when using crossbows and firearms.
• Reflex saves.
• Agility, Manual Dexterity, and Stealth checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Dexterity score to:
• Ranger’s and rogue’s bonus maneuvers. Also the minimum Dexterity score needed to learn or execute a ranger or rogue maneuver is 10 + the maneuver’s circle.
CONSTITUTION (CON)
Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the attribute is important for all classes.
You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to:
• Stamina defense.
• The number of Hit Points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 Hit Point per level.)
You apply your character’s Constitution score to:
• Hit Points at 1st level.
• Berserker’s bonus maneuvers. Also, the minimum Constitution score needed to learn or execute a barbarian maneuver is 10 + the maneuver’s circle.
INTELLECT (INT)
Intellect determines how well your character learns and reasons. This attribute is most important for wizards but it’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.
You apply your character’s Intellect modifier to:
• The number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.)
• Magic Ability checks when making Disrupt saves.
• Magic Ability checks with wizard spells.
• Education, Mechanical Talent, Medicine, Survival, and Trade checks. These are the skills that have Intellect as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Intellect score to:
• Skill Points at 1st level.
• Wizard’s bonus spells. Also, the minimum Intellect score needed to learn or cast a wizard spells is 10 + the spell’s circle.
An animal has an Intellect score of up to 4. A creature of humanlike Intellect has a score of at least 5.
WISDOM (WIS)
Wisdom describes a character’s piety, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intellect represents one’s ability to analyze information Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. Wisdom is the most important attribute for clerics and druids. If you want your character to have acute senses, put a high score in Wisdom. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
You apply your character’s Wisdom modifier to:
• Magic Ability checks with cleric and druid spells.
• Fate Points.
• Intuition and Perception checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Wisdom score to:
• Cleric’s and druid’s bonus spells. Also, the minimum Wisdom score needed to learn or cast a cleric or druid spell is 10 + the spell’s circle.
CHARISMA (CHA)
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, will, persuasiveness, and ability to lead. This attribute represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Charisma is most important for paladins and warlocks. Every creature has a Charisma score.
You apply your character’s Charisma modifier to:
• Will defense.
• Magic Ability checks with paladin and warlock spells.
• Charm, Command, Diplomacy, Handle Animals, and Performance checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key attribute.
You apply your character’s Charisma score to:
• Paladin’s and warlock’s bonus spells. The minimum Charisma score needed to learn or cast a paladin or warlock spell is 10 + the spell’s circle.
When an attribute score changes permanently (by gaining level for example), all values associated with that score change accordingly. A character does retroactively get additional skill points or hit points for previous levels if she increases her Intellect and/or Constitution.
Several important values are not affected by attributes. Character’s Armor defense and Speed are prime examples.
Last edited:
