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Chapter 3: Primary Statistics
[ | Introduction | Strength | Stamina | Agility | Speed | Beauty | Intelligence | Fortitude | Wisdom | Perception | Charisma | Making Stat Checks | ]
Stat Checks
There are times when the GM simply can't think of an appropriate skill to roll. And why should he? Not all events and important clues in a plot will
fall back on some skill you may have. Sometimes it's all about natural ability. In these circumstances, the GM will ask you to
make a stat check.
When the GM asks you to make a stat check, roll a D10 and add your stat to your final number. You'll use
that number to determine if your character was successful or not. It's the GM's discretion just how wildly successful or
ridiculously poor your performance is based on your roll against the target number.
Stat checks are very fast rolls that players can make
to keep the game moving. Sometimes the GM won't want to bother going through all the motions of a skill check because the
situation calls for raw ability. GMs, take advantage of stat checks to give players guidelines
on just how their characters handle the next scene.
How to Use Stat Checks
A Stat Check is a great way to determine which way a scene may go. Does your character make the appropriate connections between items in the
room? Can your character handle what needs to be done next? When you're in a hurry, you can fall back on the Stat Check as a kind of 'catch-all'.
Sometimes two people are fighting against eachother in a particular stat. They could be wrestling (strength vs strength), using locks and holds (agility
vs agility), or trying to fake eachother (perception vs perception). When a contested stat roll occurs, do NOT use this section. That is covered in the
combat section, so go there.
Beyond contested stat checks, you really should only use stat checks to determine if player characters have the ability to perform certain tasks. In other
words, stat checks are used to determine the possibility or outcomes of actions. If the player is instead *reacting* to a situation, this is instead handled
by the Resistance chapter.
Here are some examples of what to do and what to avoid when asking for stat checks.
Beauty, Charisma - These are adequately covered by other rules; there should be no reason to use these in stat checks.
Stamina - If the character insists on continuing with something exhausting or is going past his limits, he must make stat checks to see if he
can keep it up. Failure means the character must roll Resist Knockout. A good idea is to make the stat check 1 or 2 points harder every time it comes up
for the same scene. How much he fails by could be -10% for each point. Even if he resists Knockout successfully, he should still be stopped in his activities.
Fortitude - This is pretty much the same as above.
Torture and interrogation are resisted by making successful stat checks; once the character fails a check, he
has penalties to resist Primal Nature and must continue resisting until the source of mental anguish is gone. If the character fails on Resist Primal
Nature, he's likely reduced to a former shell of himself. If the stress is rather light or skill-related, roll Resist Concentration Loss instead using
the same rules.
Strength - Make a Strength check when you need to grip onto something; maybe it's a cliff or the back of a car, either way your character has to
roll to try and hold on. Strength can also be used for pushing and pulling (trying to get a car out of the ditch, for instance).
Don't use a stat check for Lifting or anything else already covered by Quick Information.
Agility - Trying to fit through a doorway, trying to grab something just out of reach, trying to balance on a rickety object, these can all
depend on Agility. It can also be used for moving from one place to the next if there is some difficulty involved (jumping from car to car for example). Don't use it for
holds or locks as those are contested combat rolls (in the combat rules section). Also use agility checks to see if a character keeps his balance on a
rickety ledge.
Speed - How well does your character cover distance trying to run through snow or a forest? Maybe you aren't able to keep up full-speed, but the GM
can guess more easily just how closely you can get to your Sprint from your Stat Check (or perhaps you trip and fall). Catching someone when they trip could either be a parry roll
(which is admittedly a bit odd) or just a simple Speed check.
Intelligence - Does your character make a connection between two seemingly unconnected events? How quickly does your character learn new skills
and abilities? Can your character focus on the task at hand under pressure? A stat check could mean the difference between hours and days when it comes to learning something new.
Wisdom - How well your character notices supernatural (magical) events comes into play here. Your character may suspect that an object or a person
is magical; wisdom gives you the ability to gauge the power of supernatural happenings around you. Consider it a prickly and vague sixth sense.
Perception - Well, this really is the big one. You'll probably be asked to make perception checks more often than anything else. Does your character
suspect that a friend is lying? Are you being followed? Do you notice that weird guy in the back of the nightclub? Just what color tie WAS that guy wearing?
Any time the GM wants to see if you pick up on certain details in a scene (an odd smile, a stranger in the background), he'll ask you to make a perception
stat check. GMs, feel free to use these checks to flesh out a scene and to make players acutely aware of just how much their characters notice their surroundings.
Difficulties
Not all situations are made equal; the standard target number for the average situation is 10. If the GM wants to make it easy for you, he can
(although then there doesn't seem much point in rolling). If the GM believes that the situation would be harder for the average person or the
player has some penalty against him, the GM will raise the target number. For every point of Red damage, add 1 to the target difficulty.
The target number must be made clear to the player before the roll is made.
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11-13
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It's an average situation that isn't in your favour; there are a few small factors working against you. Picking someone out in
a crowded room, pushing a car out of a ditch, or some other inconvenience.
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14-18
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There are a lot of small details and a few major factors blocking your attempt. Picking
someone far away in a dark crowded room, pushing a car out of a deep ditch, running through a dense brush or crowd.
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20-25
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Trying to run through a dense forest down a slope, picking out a stranger in the rain, or other tasks that would be impossible
for most people.
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Beyond.
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Good luck. Even the best would need it in what seems to be an impossible situation.
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Target Number
When you make your roll, your final number determines just how your character's stat holds up in the situation. GMs, use this chart to give the player
guidelines on just how the next situation may proceed because of the roll made.
If the player fails by 1 or 2, perhaps he gets the gist of something or comes very close. If the player succeeds by 1 or 2, he manages the situation
by just enough. For each point over a bare success, the player should get some bonus or detail which would increase his performance in the situation.
Strength - Each point over a bare success shows how many rounds the character can hold onto the back of a car before needing to check again (unless the driver
tries to make it difficult for him). Each point shows how solid the character has a grip on someone or something for a round. Penalties could come from
the car swerving or the ground around you collapsing as you try to climb up over the edge of the cliff. These checks are generally used for footing, grip,
or awkward positions while lifting.
Agility - Each point shows just how many centimetres a character manages to gain by twisting his arm to grab something on the other
side. Each point shows how many minutes you cut trying to walk or climb over delicate edges. Penalties could come from how rickety or thin the edge is or
just how tight a squeeze the situation is putting on you. These checks are generally used for balance or twisting.
Speed - The GM should probably start you at your jogging speed for the situation. Each point could be an extra 1 or 2 kph up to your
full Sprint (a great roll would give you near your full sprint). Penalties stem from sinking far into the snow or being tangled in branches. These checks
are generally used for maintaining speed through crowded brush or crowded streets.
Intelligence - Each point gives your character another small clue (or hint from the GM) in your current dilemma. Each point could
cut hours, days, or even weeks (in the longest circumstances) from your training time in a new ability/skill. Penalties could come from your character
being under mental stress, recently failing a Resist roll, or even an ever nagging time-limit (that bomb is about to go off). These checks are generally
used for training or connecting pieces of a puzzle.
Wisdom - Each point could give your character another small clue (or hint from the GM) about some magical object or person. You may get
a vague sense of what sort of power they have or a sense of what's about to go down. Penalties could come from magic messing with your ability to read
the situation. These checks are generally used to vaguely sense magic.
Perception - Each point should give your character another detail about the situation. You notice a person sitting at the bar; you notice
a man; you notice a man with a tie; you notice that man that was following you for a few city blocks the other day. The GM will feed you more
information based on the success of your roll. Penalties could come from other distractions in the area (lighting, noise, crowds, other annoyances) or the
fact that someone is purposely avoiding you (Stealth skill or some other way to conceal). These checks are generally used to see if your character notices
a detail about a current scene.
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