What system has your favorite Attributes/Stats setup?

[tfwoods3]

There are several systems out there and many different ways to translate a characters abilities. Just about all include Strength, Dexterity, Intellect. Some go from 1 - 18, or 1 -20, or 1 to 10, or 1 - 100, or even 3D, 4D...

What is your favorite system? What is your least favorite?

I like the standard D&D lineup, but also really liked the Hero System for a long time.

Fantasy Comic! War of the Nine Gods

 

[Cam Banks]

Smallville doesn't have Attributes. It rates each character's Values of Truth, Love, Power, Glory, Justice, and Duty, as well as a character's Relationships with other characters.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[jonesy]

I like the Top Secret traits. The primaries are Physical Strength, Charm, Willpower, Courage, Knowledge and Coordination. The secondary and tertiary values are then derived from them. They have neat little things like for instance Movement Value comes from (Physical Strength + Willpower + Coordination). So characters with high willpower move faster.

Another one is 2300 AD which has separate STR and DEX values for different gravities.

As for what I don't like, I don't know. It's so game system dependant. Car Wars only had Driving Skill, Gunnery Skill and Mechanic Skill, but it didn't really need anything else.

 

[Wik]

This is a great thread topic!

A few of my favourites:

1) Shadowrun, 4e. You get attributes and skills. Add them together, and that's how many dice you use to make a check. Tally up the 5s and 6s, and that's how many "hits" you get. If you get more hits than the target number, success.

2) d6 System. You get six attributes (varies by setting, but usually strength, agility, yadda yadda), which are flat die codes. All skills related to that attribute start at that die code. really simple, yet works great.

3) Earthdawn. Attributes influence many character stats, and add their step bonus to any skill or talent the character attempts. Early in the game, attributes are huge benefits (since they provide a step modifier of at least +4 and as high as +9 or so - and a maxed out skill at level 1 is only +3). As the game progresses, they become less important compared to the character's main skills (which can go as high as +12 or higher). In good FASA fashion, there is no "intelligence" attribute, which I've always loved.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

HERO- nothing else is even close.

 

[GandalfMithrandir]

I actually like the D6 system, myself, but the D&D lineup always seems pretty good, I have not played HERO but I have heard good things.

 

[fuzzlewump]

Can someone describe the HERO system, at least for Stats?

I like Hollow Earth expedition's system. Very simple, each point of a stat translate to rolling another die for another chance of success. Add the relevant stat and skill level and you have a dice pool to roll against a target number. Or if it's just a stat roll, double your stat and roll that many dice. That keeps target numbers the same no matter if you're making an 'Athletics' check or a 'Strength' check.

I don't know, maybe the system isn't even that good, but I'm having so much fun with the system currently it needed a mention.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Without the books in front of me:
The stats in HERO are:

Str
Dex
Con
Body (these are "lethal HP")
Int
Ego (mental strength; willpower- essentially a psychic/mystic stat)
Pre (forcefulness of personality; impressiveness)
Com (physical attractiveness)
PD (basic resistance to physical damage; physical damage reduction)
ED (basic resistance to energy damage; energy damage reduction)
Spd (# of actions in a turn)
Rec (how fast you recover End and Stun)
End (endurance/fatigue- used to pay for expenditures of energy)
Stun (nonlethal HP)

So while some are basically the same, D&D's Cha stat gets split into Pre and Com, and HPs are divided into Body & Stun, and certain other stats are found elsewhere in the D&D game.

 

[Jasperak]

While I don't have a lot of practical experience with it, Savage Worlds using different dice for each ability seems like a interesting idea.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Pendragon receives first place, though I like quite a few systems' stat setups. It goes as follows:

* Statistics - Size, Dexterity, Strength, Constitution, Appearance. From these are derived such secondary stats as Damage, Healing Rate, Movement Rate, and HP. 3-18, kinda.
* Personality Traits, in pairs (usually these... Chaste/Lustful, Energetic/Lazy, Forgiving/Vengeful, Generous/Selfish, Honest/Deceitful, Just/Arbitrary, Merciful/Cruel, Modest/Proud, Piuos/Worldly, Prudent/Reckless, Temperate/Indulgent, Trusting/Suspicious, and Valorous/Cowardly). Can be tailored to campaigns.
* Directed Traits (e.g., specific Trusting or Mistrust scores).
* Passions, such as specific Loyalties (e.g., lord, vassals, etc.), Loves (e.g., family), Hospitality, Honour, specific Hates, and so forth.
* Glory, which is something like XP on the one hand, and absolutely nothing like it on the other.


In a Wicked Age would have to be another fave, and an even less "old school" system, I suppose:

* Covertly, Directly, For Myself, For Others, With Love, and With Violence. Each is represented by a die type.
* Particular Strengths, and Best Interests.


More traditionally, Interlock:

* Intelligence, Reflexes, Tech (fine motor stuff / technical aptitude), Cool (aka Willpower), Attractiveness, Luck, Movement Allowance, Body (is both "Str" and "Con"), Empathy.
* Optionally, Psi as well. 1-10, mostly (as are the above stats).