Roleplaying Systems

[Polyedit2000]

Section 2: Stats and Modifiers

Some games will use Stats to give diversity to the players.  Usually, players can modify these Stats before the game starts.

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Stat-less: A game that does not depend on stats, usually focusing on narrative.

Two Stats:
-The two stats can be one scaled stat that opposes each other. For example, rolling low in Lasers and Feelings determines the success of a Laser action and rolling high would determine the success of a Feeling diplomacy, and the game ends if a place forces either "stat" to the extreme.

Tri-Stat:
--Body: Focused on physical activities like strength and moving.
--Mind: Focused on mental activities like intelligence and learning.
--Spirit: Focused on ideals like luck and determination, and may also include psychic abilities.
*Some games also use the low number of Stats to combine their scores for actions.  For example, using determined Spirit to push beyond what the Body can normally do.

D&D Stats:
--Strength: How strong you are.  Also affects most melee combat.
--Dexterity:  How fast/steady you are.  Also affects movement and ranged combat.
--Constitution:  How resistant your body is.
--Intelligence:  How knowledgeable you are on a topic like history and magic.  Also affects spells based requiring study.
--Wisdom:  How knowledgeable you are based on survival skills such as handling animals.  Also affect spells that work with nature.
--Charisma:  How good you are talking to people.  Also affect spells that manipulate the mind.

Indirect Stats:  Some games may let you alter these stats directly, though they are usually determined by the above stats or by other means.
--HP: How many hits you can take before you fall.  This stat is usually determined by the class and Constitution/Body.
--MP/Spell Slots:  How many spells you can cast within a certain time frame.  This stat is usually determined by the class.
--Movement:  How many spaces your character can move.  This is usually determined by the race.
--Armor (AC):  How much damage you resist, or in Dungeons and Dragons, the likelihood you can be hit.  This is mainly determined by the type of armor worn:
--Damage:  How much damage you can deal.  This is mainly determined by the weapon equipped.

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How to determine starting stats:
-Point Pool:  You give players a number of points to invest into a stat.
-Dice Rolls:  Stats are determined by dice, either assigning them as rolled or choosing which roll goes to which stat.
-Defects:  Some GMs will offer additional points to players if they choose a drawback.

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Modifiers:  While some games will use the Stats directly, other games like Dungeons and Dragons translates the stats into a Bonus.  For example, a person with a stat of 10 may have 0 bonus while a person with a stat of 30 maxes out at +10.  In Dungeons and Dragons, the Bonuses are added to skills:

-On an attack, a Fighter can hit a goblin by rolling a d20 and adding his Strength to show his skill of weapons (roll of 10 + 3 Strength bonus beats the goblin's 12 AC).  And his sword deals 1d8 damage to the goblin (roll of 6 + 3 Strength bonus = 9 damage)

In Dungeons and Dragons, there are also other modifiers.  Some modifiers will affect a stat directly while other modifiers only modify "mini-stats":

-A Bard with +1 Charisma wears a Ring of Fancy that gives +2 Charisma and +4 Deception.  He rolls a deceiving tale of 10  + 1 + 2 + 4 = 17 to woo a girl, but is unable to persuade a night with her on another roll of 10 + 1 + 2 = 13.

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Skill Check "Accuracy"

Advantage:  These are good positions and represented by rolling a dice twice, choosing the higher number.  One example is a Barbarian's Rage, which gives them Advantage of Strength skills like combat.  Another example is taking a turn to Aim, using the next turn to have Advantage.

Disadvantage:  These are bad positions and represented by rolling a dice twice, choosing the lower number.  One example is Disarming Shot, meaning that you are aiming at a smaller part of a body.  Another example is being blinded while attacking.

Inspiration:  An Advantage given by the GM for any dice check, ideally rewarded by impressing the GM through narrative actions or character development.

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Success Modifier

Success At A Cost: If you are 1 or 2 points short of a DC, the GM can allow the action to happen but with a hindrance. For example, a roll of 13 against 13 AC allows the player to hit a goblin, but a roll of 12 can normally make the attack miss or have the goblin warn others as the attack hits him.

Degrees Of Failure: Some skill checks may have different results based on how far a roll is from the skill check, usually by a gap of 5. For example, if wooing a girl requires a DC of 15, a Barbarian may simply be turned away if he gets a roll of 13 or slapped if he gets a roll of 9.

-Criticals and Fails: As mentioned before, a 1 or 20 (or the min/max rolls) can have additional results, which can mark the difference between a pick lock not working (2) or breaking (1).

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Note that, in some games, NPCs and enemies will also have these these Stats meaning they can also experience the same modifiers.