Game System:Attributes

From Eldritch Wiki

The following is information on the Attribute system used in Eldritch MUSH.

Overview

Characters in Eldritch have six Attributes that represent their innate talents and capabilities. Every action a character takes begins with an Attribute. Lifting a heavy object requires Strength, puzzling out the provenance of a rare relic requires Intelligence, resisting the bewitching spell of a Siren requires Willpower, and so on. Attributes aren't learned; they're either there from the beginning (as natural, innate aspects of the character) or trained and developed by heavy trials and experiences that shape the character, molding not the superficial, but their true core. Attributes are divided into two categories: Physical (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution) and Mental (Intelligence, Perception, Willpower). Usually they are paired up with a skill, but some rolls call for just Attributes to come into play.

A rating of 2 is considered average, while a rating of 5 represents the pinnacle of human capability. Some extremely gifted humans can take one or more Attributes to level 6 with the purchase of special qualities (Such as Demonic Heritage). This is called 'breaching the threshold', and will be discussed more later on. Powerful animals or monsters might possess Attribute ratings greater than 5, as well as empowered warriors, mystical fighters, demons, robots, and just about anything else that goes bump in the night; whether it started it or not. But they're supernatural; they're supposed to be weird.

Scores

Lvl	Description
1	Low. You really haven't developed here. You're not pathetic, but it's damn near close.
2	Average. The Everyman level. Most people have most Attributes at this level.
3	Good. You're better than the average; skilled at things that require use of this particular talent.
4	Proficient. You're one of the best or brightest. You've trained and are considered top of the class.
5	Exemplary. The human peak of excellence. People view your undertakings with this trait with awe and respect.
6+	Epic. You are considered superhuman. You can achieve certain things normal humans normally cannot.

Note - Remember that it's okay to be average in an Attribute. It's just a game. A 2 is a perfectly normal Attribute score.

Strength A measure of your character's physical power, Strength governs how much damage he inflicts, how much weight he can carry, and, to a small extent, how much of a lickin' he can take. Strength is useful to people who do a lot of heavy lifting or anybody likely to enter close combat. In Eldritch, the latter is pretty much the norm. Characters apt to have a high Strength include athletes, manual laborers, and soldiers. Wee, frail, or small-body types and couch potatoes have low Strength (just to name a few).	Dexterity Dexterity indicates your character's physical coordination, agility, and gracefulness. It aids any task calling for motor control and precision, from handling the wheels to dodging the incoming to swinging the large cutlery (Dexterity helps the chopping connect; Strength determines how much the carving stings). If you want to do backflips, or Jackie Chan your way around town, you'd better have a high Dexterity (and some help from the script). Sloths and old people have low Dexterity (just to name a few).	Constitution This Attribute shows how physically hardy or healthy your character is. Constitution is important when it comes to resisting disease, damage, and fatigue. It is used (along with, but with more efficiency than, Strength) to figure out what kind of pounding your character can stand up to. Constitution is useful for people in strenuous and dangerous jobs (say, firefighting, hunting monsters, being monsters). It's key for resisting certain magical effects, and the occasional bout of 'almost dying'. It also helps you soak damage.
Intelligence A mind is a terrible thing to waste. This mental Attribute determines your character's ability to learn, correlate, and retain information. The higher his Intelligence, the easier it is for your character to excel at scholastic skills (Knowledge, Science, and the like). Also, this Attribute is used to understand and interpret information. Note that intelligence and education are two separate things; a character could be a mental Michael Jordan but if he grew up in a dimension without books and pencils, he'd be illiterate. Education is covered by your character's skills, which determine what he has learned in his life. Librarians, master manipulators, and other highly intellectual types (gamers?) tend to have a high Intelligence level.	Perception When a skittering demon tries to eviscerate a guy, Perception might help him spot the bugger before it strikes. This mental Attribute governs the usual five senses and any extra ones that your character might sprout. Hard-bitten detectives (to spot those important clues), people with persistent enemies (to see or hear them coming), and mystical or psychic types (to detect "disturbances in the Force") live longer when they are highly aware of their surroundings. Perception also offers the invaluable skill of making sure you're so aware you can act before others, and can be used at times in replacement of Dexterity for things related to hand-eye coordination (shooting, surgery, magic missile).	Willpower This Attribute measures mental strength and self-control, and the ability to resist fear, intimidation, and temptation. The pros don't get too bent out of shape when a vamp flashes its fangs, but there're things out there much wilder and woollier than that. When your character runs into that kinda heat, Willpower is his friend. Any supernatural ability that tries to control or influence victims is resisted by Willpower. It can also be used to intimidate and dominate others through sheer force of will; acting like a sort of charisma to Intelligence's manipulation. Extroverted socializing is governed by this Attribute, and any magic user with a low Willpower is going to be...well, a pretty crappy magic user.