Character stats are a measure of the physical, mental, and emotional attributes of your character. Most character stats have both an Active Use and a Passive Use. Active Uses typically result in Stat Test or Stat Roll-offs, while Passive Uses generally modify other elements of your character or are used to calculate resources for various class mechanics.
Contents
Main Character Stats
There are ten main character stats, however movement can in some ways also be considered a character stat, and is therefore included here. Character stats are a number between 0 and 20, and cannot naturally exceed 20, though some exceptionally large or powerful creatures may have stats higher than 20.
Strength
Strength (STR) is a relative measurement of physical strength in relation to the size of the character or creature. As a relative measurement, its important to note that a human with strength 20 is not equally as strong as Dragon with Strength 20.
Active Use: lifting, carrying, or moving heavy objects; physically over-powering or restraining a target; physical intimidation of a target; smashing/breaking physical objects; etc…
Passive Use: Melee physical damage modifier, range for thrown weapons, backpack carrying capacity, Vigor class resource
| Strength | Combat Modifier |
| 20 | +3 melee/thrown physical damage |
| 18-19 | +2 melee/thrown physical damage |
| 15-17 | +1 melee/thrown physical damage |
| 8-14 | no modifier |
| 4-7 | -1 melee/thrown physical damage |
| 1-3 | -2 melee/thrown physical damage |
Agility
Agility (AGIL) is a broad measurement of a variety of physical attributes such as fine motor skills, dexterity, coordination, balance, and hand-eye coordination.
Active Use: climbing up or down difficult terrain; jumping over large gaps; squeezing through a tight space in a hurry; careful placement of a an object to avoid triggering an alarm or trap; complex physical actions such as rolling behind cover and picking up a weapon at the same time; etc…
Passive Use: Physical Melee hit rating, physical melee critical hit rating, Stealth resource
| Combat Modifier | Formula |
| Physical melee hit rating | Agility-10 = +/- to hit |
| Physical melee crit rating | Agility/3 = Melee Crit % |
Stamina
Stamina (STAM) is a stat that encompasses physical attributes such as endurance, fortitude, mass (also relative to size), health, toughness, and hardiness.
Active Use: using your size to block or impede someone’s movements; resistance to succumbing to illness (i.e. puking after eating rotten food); running past the point of exhaustion; etc…
Passive Use: Flat portion of HP per level (see Class Codex for details on Level ups), used to Calculate Elemental & Natural Resistance (see Resistance section); Fury class resource
Intellect
Intellect (INT) is a measure of a variety of mental attributes pertaining to knowledge, reasoning, and IQ; often thought of as book smarts. Intelligence relies upon careful preparation and diligent studies undertaken outside of high pressure environments or situations (i.e. combat), though this does not mean that the knowledge gained can not be of use in these situations.
Active Use: Knowing an adversary’s weaknesses as a result of having studied a textbook on their anatomy; interpreting the crude language and gesturing of a primitive race; solving a difficult riddle or puzzle; predicting the liekly target of a group of rampaging Ogres; etc…
Passive Use: Spirit hit rating; Spirit critical hit/success rating; used to calculate Arcane & Mental Resistance (see Resistance section); Modifiers to Spirit class resource
| Combat Modifier | Formula |
| Spirit power hit rating | Intellect-10 = +/- to hit |
| Spirit power crit rating | Intellect/3 = Spirit Crit % |
| Intellect | Spirit class resource modifier |
| 19-20 | +3 Spirit per level |
| 16-18 | +2 Spirit per level |
| 11-15 | +1 Spirit per level |
| 7-10 | no modifier |
| 0-6 | -1 Spirit per level |
Wisdom
Wisdom (WIS) is a measure of a variety of mental attributes pertaining to judgement, discernment, intuition, wit, and common sense; often thought of as street smarts. Wisdom relies upon experience gained successes in the field or from learning from past mistakes, allowing for snap decision making in the heat of battle or under other high pressure situations.
Active Use: Deciding to switch targets when it becomes apparent that you lack the ability to hit a heavily armored target with a small blade; learning the true intentions of an organization whose actions contradict their supposed purpose; trusting the instinctual “feeling” that a demonic presence is at work; etc…
Passive Use: Faith hit rating; Faith critical hit/success rating; used to calculate Natural, Demonic, and Mental Resistances (see Resistance section); Modifiers to Faith class mechanic
| Combat Modifier | Formula |
| Faith power hit rating | Wisdom-10 = +/- to hit |
| Faith power crit rating | Wisdom/3 = Faith Crit % |
Avoidance
Avoidance (AVD) is a measure of the natural or trained reflex to avoid incoming attacks, damage, or other negative consequences. It also encompasses the ability for a character to avoid detection or to make itself less noticeable to a potential enemy. As such it is extremely useful for Stealth classes, or even a fragile back rank healer.
Active Use: avoiding slower moving projectiles such as falling rocks or a net trap; falling back out of harms way after an explosion goes off; attempting to remain unnoticed in a crowd of people, etc…
Passive Use: used to calculate Dodge (a Defense ), increases resistance to most projectile based Spirit/Faith powers
Perception
Perception (PER) is a measure of the ability to physically regard, understand, interpret, or become aware of something, through the senses. It encompasses a variety of senses such as sight, hearing, smell, and even other more extraordinary sense such as a bats sonar capabilities.
Active Use: Detecting hidden/stealthed targets; searching for a small object on the battlefield (such as when retrieving arrows after combat); advanced warning of an enemy presence to prevent an ambush; etc…
Passive Use: Physical ranged/thrown hit rating, physical ranged/thrown critical hit rating
| Combat Modifier | Formula |
| Physical ranged/thrown hit rating | Perception-10 = +/- to hit |
| Physical ranged/thrown crit rating | Perception/3 = Ranged Crit % |
Resolve
Resolve (RES) is a relative measure of attributes pertaining to willpower, discipline, command, and resilience in the face of psychological stress or trauma, and a generally willingness to fight on even against insurmountable odds.
Active Use: Resistance to naturally occurring sources of fear or terror; attempting to push through the pain of a broken limb to continue marching; standing and fighting against an Orcish Warband when all your allies are unconscious/wounded; etc…
Passive Use: used to resist Focus loss when taking damage (see Focus class mechanic); used to calculate Holy and Demonic Resistances (see Resistance section)
Initiative
Initiative (INIT) is a measure of the ability to assess a situation to quickly act, react, or take charge, often before others. Though it can be a trained or learned attribute, it is most often an instinctual reflex. Initiative can also be thought of as the speed at which the brain processes incoming information and causes the body to react.
Active Use: Establishing Turn Order at the beginning of a battle; Overcoming an opponents Ward-off; snap out of turn reactions to select opponent skills/abilities; determining a quick reaction to an unexpected event
Passive Use: Movement modifiers; modifiers to Riding Skill;
| Initiative | Movement Modifier |
| 18-20 | +1 Movement |
| 4-17 | no modifier |
| 1-3 | -1 Movement |
Charm
Charm is a measure of a variety of attributes that can include physical appearance but also things such as people skills, charisma, and non-threatening powers of persuasion.
Active Use: sweet talking a guard into allowing you to pass; trying to get a merchant to lower the price of their goods; attempting to give a rousing speech to encourage local peasants to take up arms with you in defense of their village; etc…
Passive Use: modifiers to a variety of Secondary Skills such as Haggler
Movement
Movement (MOVE) is not a true character stat as it is never used to take a Stat Test to Stat Roll-off, nor is it rolled for during Character Creation. However it used to determine how many in-game inches you can move during the movement phase of combat. The base movement stat is always 4, modified by race.
Resistance
Character stats are also used to calculate Resistance to a variety of damage types, as follows:
| Resistance Type | Calculated From | Common Uses |
| Arcane Resistance | Intellect x2 + Racial Modifier | Resisting Arcane magic |
| Elemental Resistance | Stamina x2 + Racial Modifier | Resisting Elemental magic or environmental effects (fire, heat, cold, wind, etc…) |
| Natural Resistance | Stamina + Wisdom + Racial Modifier | Resisting Natural magic or natural effects (illness, toxins, poison, alchohol, etc…) |
| Holy Resistance | Resolve x2 + Racial Modifier | Resisting Holy or other divine powers |
| Demonic Resistance | Wisdom + Resolve + Racial Modifier | Resisting Demonic powers or possession |
| Mental Resistance | Intellect + Wisdom + Racial Modifier | Resisting Psionic powers or mental attacks |
Defense Stats
Defense stats are typically calculated values based on Character Stats, Armor, and associated modifiers. Defense is mostly used in relation to physical damage, however it can in some situations also effect other damage types as well as impacting combat modifiers.
| Defense Stat | Description & Common Uses | Formula |
| AC | Armor Class: main defense stat rolled against by opponents attacking you with physical damage | = Armor + Dodge |
| Armor | Contributes to AC | SUM of all Armor Values on equipped armor |
| Dodge | Contributes to AC and can be rolled against like a Character Stat when a GM wishes to modify Avoidance for Stiff armor. Aadded to Resistance for most LoS projectile-like Spirit/faith powers | = Avoidance – Stiff |
| Noisy | Noisy armor disturbs or conflicts with some class mechanics. -1 to hit & -1 crit (per piece) with Focus, Spirit, Faith. Reduces Stealth by 3 per piece & moving while hidden increases your chances of detection (+1 Advantage to opponents Perception per piece). Stacks if layering | SUM of all Noisy modifiers on equipped armor |
| Stiff | Stiff armor reduces Agility & Avoidance and any associated bonuses (-1 each per piece). Stacks if layering. | SUM of all Stiff modifiers on equipped armor |
| Double Layers | Top Layer armor over Base Layer OR Mid Layer over Base Layer only (Top over Mid not allowed). Reduces chance to hit and crit with physical attacks (-1 per slot where a double layer exists) | SUM of all Double Layers on equipped armor |
| Triple Layers | Top Layer armor with Mid Layer over Base Layer. Reduces movement & chance to hit and crit with physical attacks (-0.5 move & -2 hit/crit% per slot where a triple layer exists). Stacks with penalties from Double Layer. Dwarves are exempt from the movement penalty due to their “Implacable” racial passive | SUM of all Triple Layers on equipped armor |
Block and Parry Stats
Block and parry are calculated defensive stats that are used for Defensive Reactions.
Block = Strength – 10
Parry = Agility – 10
This formula represents a success chance of 15% at at an average default stat value of 13 (with 0% at 10, and 50% at 20). This is before weapon attribute modifiers.
Choosing a Block or Parry Reaction (in response to an opponent indicating they are rolling to hit) requires a stat test with the associated defensive stat.
Like all stat tests, roll 1d20 and add the value of the block or parry, then apply any Advantage (+) or Disadvantage (-) modifiers to the outcome.
| 1d20 + Stat + Adv. – D’adv. | Outcome |
| > 20 | Success |
| < 20 | Failure |
| = 20 | Failure |
A natural roll of 1 on the d20 is always a failure, even when the sum total is greater than 20 (due to high stat values combined with advantage modifiers). In some cases GMs may want to treat this as a “Critical Failure” and apply further negative consequences, such as the weapon or shield being knocked out of their hand (counting as a Disarm for the defender) or the attacker becoming Vulnerable.
A natural roll of 20 on the d20 is always a success, even when the sum total is less than or equal to 20 (due to low stat values combined with disadvantage modifiers). In some cases GMs may want to treat this as a “Critical Block/Parry” and apply further positive outcomes, such as the blocked or parried weapon being knocked out of the attackers hand (counting as a Disarm for the attacker) or the attacker becoming Vulnerable. However, in instances where a natural 20 is the ONLY chance of success this should never be considered a “critical success”.
For details on the specific rules regarding Block and Parry reactions, see the Defensive Reactions.