Attributes

Every character has Attributes. They represent the basic potential of every person in the world, as well as most other living (and unliving) things. Most people have Attribute ratings between 1 (poor) and 3 (good), though exceptionally gifted individuals may have ratings of 4 (excellent) or even 5 (peak human capacity). Attributes are split into three categories; Physical, Social, and Mental. During character creation, you start with three sets of points that you assign to each category; 7, 5, 3. This changes based on your race, Mortals, Jedi and Sith have 7/5/3,while Wookies and Ghouls have 6/4/3 Example: Physical 3, Social 5, Mental 7. You begin with 1 point in each attribute, unless otherwise stated as in the case of the Nosferatu, who have an appearance of 0 and cannot change this in any way (ugly little things).

Physical
Physical Attributes define the condition of a character’s body. They indicate how strong, agile, and resilient a character is. Physical Attributes should be taken as the primary category for an action-oriented character.

Strength
Strength is a measure of how much weight the character can carry, shove, or lift. Strength figures into jumping and leaping, and it also measures the raw damage you can deliver in a fight. The higher your Strength is, the more punishing your blows are. Generally, characters with high Strength are big and brawny, although this is not always the case; the short and wiry types can also pack quite a punch.

• Poor: You can lift 40 lb. (about 20 kg).

•• Average: You can lift 100 lb. (around 50 kg).

••• Good: You can lift 250 lb. (a little over 100 kg).

•••• Exceptional: You can lift 400 lb. (close to 200 kg).

••••• Outstanding: You can lift 650 lb. (nearly 300 kg).

Dexterity
Dexterity measures a character’s control over her own body, including agility, speed and manual deftness. Characters with a high Dexterity have good hand-eye coordination. Generally, they’re graceful and light on their feet to boot. Dexterity influences accuracy in combat, as well as the ability to do precision work with one’s hands.

• Poor: You trip and stumble just walking across carpet.

•• Average: You’re no gymnast, but you don’t embarrass yourself, either.

••• Good: There’s some grace in your movements and lightness to your step.

•••• Exceptional: You’ve got the potential to be a world-class acrobat, dancer or thief.

••••• Outstanding: Your agility and control over your movements is possibly the stuff of legends. Every step you take is fluid, graceful and lithe.

Stamina
Stamina is a state of both mind and body. It indicates the physical ability to withstand great strain over a long period of time (such as running for hours on end or going without food for days), but it’s also a matter of inner resistance (such as holding up in the face of torture or shrugging off dire wounds to finish a mission). High Stamina allows you to endure an opponent’s blows, so it’s the Trait of choice for representing tough-as-nails Characters.

• Poor: You gasp for breath after one flight of stairs.

•• Average: You can take a punch.

••• Good: A day’s hike without food or water isn’t too much for you to bear.

•••• Exceptional: Whether it’s a two-day forced march or sneering at the faces of your torturers, you’re up to the task.

••••• Outstanding: Your constitution and will to survive can overcome any threat.

Social
Many characters use society like building blocks to advance their schemes. Social Attributes delineate a character’s appearance, charm, and ability to interact with society. These Traits are paramount in determining a character’s first impressions, personal dynamics, and relations with other individuals. Whether he’s good looking, charming, or able to sell sand in the Sahara, his Social Traits determine everything from first impressions to ongoing relationships.

Charisma
Charisma is a character’s ability to entice and please others through her personality. Charisma comes into question when a character tries to win another character’s sympathies or encourage others to trust her. Charisma reflects the power of a character’s charm and influence. It governs a character’s ability to convince others to see her point of view. This Attribute doesn’t necessarily indicate how the character is charismatic, whether she’s a silver-tongued charmer or a grinning bully. (These should come across through roleplaying and specialties.)

• Poor: There’s something a little sketchy about you.

•• Average: You are generally likable and have several friends.

••• Good: People trust you implicitly.

•••• Exceptional: You have significant personal magnetism.

••••• Outstanding: Entire cultures could follow your lead.

Appearance
Appearance measures how well a character makes a first impression. It covers posture, body language, and unconscious expressions along with physical appearance — anything remarkable on first impression can contribute to a character’s Appearance. Appearance is subconscious and instinctual; as such, even lupus with no context for what makes an “attractive” human being still react to people who make strong first impressions. When first impressions are paramount, or people set a great deal of stock by how someone looks and carries herself, a character can have no more dice in a Social dice pool than her Appearance Trait. It’s important to either get to know people or dress to impress before you try convincing them to burn down a Hive.

• Poor: You turn off both wolves and humans with your presence.

•• Average: You’re just another face in the crowd.

••• Good: People keep trying to buy you drinks, even if you refuse.

•••• Exceptional: People stop you in the street just to make your acquaintance.

••••• Outstanding: Nobody can forget meeting you.

Manipulation
Manipulation is the fine art of getting other people to do what you want through the time-honored means of tricks, bluffs, fast-talking, and railroading. Unlike Charisma, your target doesn’t have to trust you, or even like you — a master manipulator takes her target’s attitude into account, relying on subtle personality hooks and reverse psychology to control everyone around him. Botching a Manipulation roll can bring down the wrath of the intended target. Everyone’s manipulated every single day, but bringing it to people’s attention quickly makes them defensive.

• Poor: You’d have trouble getting a starving wolf to eat freshly killed rabbit.

•• Average: You’re as sly as the next person; sometimes you got it, sometimes you don’t.

••• Good: You always get a discount for cash or one for the road.

•••• Exceptional: Folks do what you want them to, whether they realize it or not.

••••• Outstanding: You could turn a group against their leader, if you wished.

Mental
Mental Attributes define a character’s epistemic capacities, including such aspects as memory, intelligence, awareness of one’s surroundings, and the ability to think, learn, and react.

Perception
Perception measures the character’s sensitivity to her surroundings. It’s a combination of actively monitoring the area around her while also relying on instincts and gut feeling. Perception doesn’t normally involve intense concentration; it’s more like a certain sensitivity to what’s going on in the immediate vicinity. Perception comes in handy when characters search for clues, maintain alertness for ambushes or seek hidden knowledge.

• Poor: You wouldn’t notice a bantha shitting in front of you — Watch out! Speeder!

•• Average: You get the general idea when trouble brews, but the details can elude you.

••• Good: You know the general feeling of a room when you walk in, and you’re rarely surprised.

•••• Exceptional: You notice just about everything, even when one of your senses is dulled.

••••• Outstanding: You didn’t need to look to see that slug-beetle painted with the Imperial logo in the neighbor’s potted plant.

Intelligence
The Intelligence Attribute refers to a character’s grasp of facts and knowledge. It also governs a character’s ability to reason, solve problems, and evaluate situations. Intelligence also includes critical thinking and flexibility of thought. Intelligence does not include savvy, wisdom, or common sense, as those are properties of the character’s personality, not Traits. Even the smartest character may be too foolish to realize the thugs who want to “borrow” her car keys are up to no good. Characters with low Intelligence aren’t necessarily stupid (though they might be); they are just uneducated or simple thinkers. Likewise, characters with high Intelligence aren’t all Einsteins; they may be better at rote memorization or have particularly keen judgment.

• Poor: Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

•• Average: Smart enough to realize you’re normal.

••• Good: More enlightened than the masses.

•••• Exceptional: You’re not just bright, you’re downright brilliant.

••••• Outstanding: Certified genius.

Wits
The Wits Trait measures the character’s ability to think on her feet and react quickly to a certain situation. It also reflects a character’s general cleverness. Characters with low Wits ratings are thick and mentally lethargic, or maybe gullible and unsophisticated. By contrast, characters with high Wits Traits almost always have a plan immediately and adapt to their surroundings with striking expedience. Characters with high Wits also manage to keep their cool in stressful situations.

• Poor: Pull my finger.

•• Average: You know when to bet or fold in poker.

••• Good: You are seldom surprised or left speechless.

•••• Exceptional: You’re one of the people who make others think, “Ooh, I should have said...” the next day.

••••• Outstanding: You think and respond almost more quickly than you can act.