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An Attribute (also called a '''statistic''', '''characteristic''' or '''ability''') is an Abstract number (or, in some cases, a Set Of Dice ) which represents a single aspect of a Fictional Character in a Role-playing Game . Most RPGs use attributes to describe characters' physical and mental characteristics, for example their Strength or Wisdom . Usually a higher number is better, but not always. They often influence the chance to succeed in Skill or other tests by addition to a die roll or by determining the number of dice to be thrown. __TOC__ In contrast to Skill s, which represent a character’s expertise in learned capabilities like Horse Riding or Hacking , or Powers , which represent a character's unique or special abilities such as Flight , attributes describe to what extent a character possesses natural, in-born characteristics common to all characters. As a result, ability scores are usually determined during Character Creation , and in many games they are fixed for the duration of the game. However, in some games they can be increased by spending Experience Points gained during the game, or as part of the process of Levelling Up . There are generally two ways of determining attributes, either randomly (by rolling Dice ) or by point distribution (see Character Point ). Some games work with only a few attributes (such as "Physical" or "Mental"), while others would go into more detail. Having too many attributes is considered to be a sign of undue complexity in a game; most games have about 4-10 of them. In many games, a small set of primary attributes control a larger number of derived secondary statistics such as Armor Class or Magic Point s. Most games try to give all attributes about the same usefulness to a character. Therefore, certain characteristics might be merged (such as merging a Charisma-type and a Willpower-type attribute into a single Personality attribute), or split into more attributes (such as splitting out physical Comeliness from Charisma in the original Oriental Adventures ), or even ignored altogether (for example, Intelligence and Charisma in a Hack And Slash adventure). Attributes are commonly referred to by their first two or three initials. COMMON ATTRIBUTE NAMES ;Strength '' Body, Might, Brawl, ...'' :A measure of how physically strong a character is. Strength often controls the maximum amount you can carry, melee attack and/or damage, and sometimes Hit Point s. Armor and weapons might also have a Strength requirement. ;Constitution ''aka Endurance, Vitality, ...'' :A measure of how resilient a character is. Constitution often influences Hit Point s, resistances for special types of damage (poisons, illness, heat etc.) and fatigue. Many games combine Constitution and Strength. ;Dexterity ''aka Agility, Reflexes, Speed, ...'' :A measure of how agile a character is. Dexterity controls attack and movement speed and accuracy, as well as the difficulty of an opponent's attack (see Armor Class ). ;Intelligence ''aka Mind, Brains, Smarts, ... :A measure of a character's problem-solving ability. Intelligence often controls a character's ability to comprehend foreign languages and their skill in magic. In some games, it controls the rate at which Experience Point s are earned, or the amount needed to "level up". ;Charisma ''aka Presence, Charm, Social, ... :A measure of a character's social skills, and sometimes their physical appearance. Charisma generally influences prices while trading, and NPC reactions. ;Wisdom ''aka Psyche, Sense, ...'' :A measure of a character's common sense and/or spirituality and/or ability to perceive surroundings. Wisdom often controls a character's ability to cast certain spells, communicate to mystical entities, or hear something in the distance. ;Willpower ''aka Sanity, Personality, Ego, ...'' :A measure of the character's mental resistance (against pain, fear etc.) when falling victim to mind-altering or torture, or insanity. ;Perception ''aka Alertness, Awareness, Cautiousness, ...'' :A measure of a character's openness of their surroundings. Perception controls the chance to detect vital clues, traps, or hiding enemies, and might influence combat sequence, or the accuracy of ranged attacks. Perception-type attributes are more common in more modern games. Sometimes combined with wisdom. ;Luck ''aka Fate, Good Stuff, ...'' :A measure of a character's Luck . Luck might influence anything, but mostly random items, encounters and outstanding successes/failures (such as Critical Hit s). ATTRIBUTES IN COMMON SYSTEMS '' Dungeons & Dragons '' and the D20 System D&D uses six ''ability scores'':
Scores are usually rolled randomly, range from 3-18 for most human characters, and can go as high as 25 for deities. Basic Role-Playing
and ''one'' of:
Scores are usually rolled randomly, and range from 3-18 for most beginning human characters, except SIZ and INT which range from 8-18 in most versions. Non-human character score ranges can vary more widely. GURPS GURPS uses four primary attributes as well as four major '''secondary characteristics''' and around eight (depending how you count them) minor ''secondary characteristics'' (such as running speed) that are derived from the primaries. The four primary attributes are:
The four major secondary attributes are:
Scores for primary attributes are bought or sold during character generation, starting at 10 each for base characters. Secondary attributes can be modified relative to the primary attribute they are based upon. Skill values are based directly on a specific Attribute; most skill rolls are based on 3d6 compared against the skill number. Hero System The ''primary characteristics'' are:
Scores start at 10 each for base characters and are bought or sold during character generation at the listed cost per point. Normal human maxima are usually defined to be 20 for each. Another set of ''secondary characteristics'' are derived from the above, though can be bought separately. They do not follow the same scale, rather directly influence game mechanics. These are:
Storyteller System Storyteller characters have nine Attributes (or '''Traits''') in three ''Groups'' and from three ''Use Categories'', as follows:
Each Attribute is measured with one to five ''Dots'': With one Dot, a character is “poor” in that Attribute, with five Dots, they are “outstanding”. Each Dot represents one Die the Attribute gets to its ''Dice Pool''. Starting characters get 12 points to add to their Attributes: The first Dot in an Attribute is free, the 2nd to 4th Dots cost one point each, and the 5th Dot costs 2 points to fill in. The player must assign 5, 4, and 3 points, respectively, to each of the Use Categories, prioritizing as they choose. EXTERNAL LINKS
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