Ability Scores
Ability Scores
Living is not breathing: it is acting, it is making use of our organs, senses, faculties, of all those parts of ourselves by which we have the feeling of existing. (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Every character has 6 Ability Scores (also called Statistics) that represent their basic attributes and constitute their potential talent and innate ability.
Although it is not common for a character to make a check using only an Ability Score, the scores affect virtually every aspect of the character’ **s capabilities and skills.
Description of Ability Scores
The Ability Score is not everything in a character, much less in a monster.
The most instinctive and aggressive monsters will probably have negative Intelligence scores, but this doesn’ **t mean they are stupid, they simply act according to their natural patterns. At the same time, creatures with a low Constitution value aren’ **t about to die but are just fragile.
Strength
Oh, it is excellent to have a giant’ **s strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant! (William Shakespeare, Isabella: from “Measure for Measure”, act II, scene II)
Strength measures physical power, athleticism, and the limits of brute force you can express. Strength applies to melee damage and for weapons thrown by hand.
A Strength check can be used for any attempt to lift, push, pull, or break something, to push your body into a space, or any other application of brute force.
A monster with Strength -4 is not about to die, it simply has very little strength (imagine giving a Strength value to a mouse or a squirrel if not a small spider..)
A character with a Strength score of -5 is dead.
Dexterity
Barking tires one out. Strength doesn’ **t count for anything in life. Knowing how to dodge is what matters. (Daniel Pennac)
Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, balance, and coordination; it determines Defense and Attack Rolls with Ranged Weapons.
A Dexterity check can be used for any attempt to move nimbly, to avoid losing balance or to pickpocket.
A character with a Dexterity score of -5 is unable to move and is completely immobile (but not unconscious).
Constitution
A little health now and then is the best medicine for the sick. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Constitution measures health, vigor, and life force as well as resistance to exertion.
A Constitution check can be used for attempts to push yourself beyond the normal limits of your body and for tests of endurance and stamina.
A character with Constitution -5 no longer has control of their body and is dead.
Intelligence
Strength without intelligence collapses under its own weight. (Horace)
Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of memories, and the ability to reason. An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to rely on logic, knowledge, memory, or deductive abilities.
Your Intelligence checks measure your ability to recall information about spells, magic items, esoteric symbols, magical traditions, the planes of existence, and the inhabitants of those planes. Rummaging through ancient scrolls in search of a fragment of knowledge might require an Intelligence check.
A character with an Intelligence score of -5 is in a coma.
Wisdom
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. (Mahatma Gandhi)
Wisdom reflects your attunement to the world around you and represents insight, intuition, willpower, and common sense.
A Wisdom check reflects an effort to interpret body language, understand someone’ **s feelings, notice details in the environment, or treat an injured person.
A character with a Wisdom score of -5 is incapable of rational thought and is unconscious.
Charisma
Kogami, do you know what charisma is?
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The way I see it, it’ **s an innate aptitude, like that of a hero or a leader.
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[…] The elements that identify charisma are three: the innate nature of heroes and prophets, the ability to instill well-being in others with your mere presence, and a culture that allows you to have a brilliant conversation on any subject. (Psycho-Pass)
Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively with others. It includes factors such as confidence and eloquence, can represent a charming or commanding personality.
A Charisma check might be required when you try to influence or entertain others, when you try to make an impression or tell a lie, or when you need to navigate a complex social situation.
The Charisma score influences the number of guys you know. See I know a guy…..
Typical situations for using Charisma include attempts to deceive a guard, swindle a merchant, earn money through gambling, pass yourself off as someone else through a disguise, allay someone’ **s suspicions with false reassurances, or maintain an impassive face while telling a blatant lie.
A character with a Charisma score of -5 is unconscious.
Reading Ability Scores
Each Ability Score generally ranges from 0 to 3, a good Ability Score is 1, 2 is excellent, 0 is “normal”, 3 is considered exceptional.
A score of -1 is considered weak, a -2 subnormal, a -3 severely problematic, a -4 leads to almost non-use of the ability, a -5 is appropriate for someone who should just stay in bed (if not already in a coffin).
Optional - Character Age
The character’ **s age affects physical and mental Ability Scores.
| Period | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young | +1 | -1 | |||
| Adult | |||||
| Mature | -1 | +1 | |||
| Elderly | -2 | -1 | -1 | +1 | +1 |
| Venerable | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | +1 |
The indicated modifiers are cumulative.
Ability Scores
Ability Scores have an important but not fundamental role. The player must understand that a low score does not mean having a terrible character, but rather they will have more fun role-playing by leveraging skills, Feats, and peculiar abilities, using ingenuity and wit. Several systems are presented for rolling characteristics.
Personally, I suggest the approach of the Base Mode. In OBSS, characters are not heroes, they are not the chosen ones who stand up as defenders of the planet. The characters are normal people often involved, despite themselves, in situations at the limit if not beyond survival.
The undoubted advantage of rolling values in order of characteristics is that it allows to mix up patterns and avoid builds made at the table.
It’ **s likely that you won’ **t get the results you were hoping for, or that they might come in characteristics that don’ **t interest you. That’ **s fine. Change your mind, let yourself be inspired by the values obtained! Have fun with the new character, build something new and different, let yourself be surprised.
The rolls for Ability Scores are executed in order, so the first roll is for Strength, then for Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and finally Charisma.
Lastly, remember that OBSS is a role-playing game where character death happens, even more often than in other RPGs. Create valid and concrete characters and let the adventure forge the details.
Racial or background modifiers cannot raise or lower the score beyond +4/-4.
Base Mode
The player rolls 3d6 for each ability score and in order, can reroll a single 1 rolled per set (3d6). Then rolls a seventh set that can replace another set. For each ability score rolled, check the sum of the dice rolled with the Table: Ability Score Roll.
The character thus generated gets the Feat Hard to Kill (page ) for free.
Traditional Mode
Each player rolls 4d6 6 times and adds the best 3 results each time. The result obtained is checked with the Table: Ability Score Roll and assigned to the Ability Scores as desired.
Optional Mode (for cowards!)
Each player distributes 4 points among the 6 Ability Scores, each Ability Score must have a minimum score of -1 and a maximum of 2 before racial modifiers.
Table: Ability Score Roll
The sum of the dice rolled for the Ability Scores is compared with this table to determine the actual values of the Ability Scores.
| Roll value | Ability | Roll value | Ability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (or less) | -3 | 12-13-14 | +1 |
| 4-5 | -2 | 15-16-17 | +2 |
| 6-7-8 | -1 | 18 (or more) | +3 |
| 9-10-11 | +0 | Remember to apply racial modifiers! |
Let’ **s Roll Ability Scores for Tups: First set: \st,1,4,3 total 8. Strength is -1
Second: 5,6,6 total 17. Dexterity is +2
Third: \st,2,1,4 total 7. Constitution is -1
Fourth: 6,6,6 total 18. Intelligence is +3
Fifth: 3,4,2 total 9. Wisdom is +0
Sixth: 3,4,4 total 11. Charisma is +0
Seventh: 3,5,2 total 10. Which replaces Strength (from -1 to +0)
As a \hyperlinkOutcastOutcast Human, Tups gains +1 to Constitution and +1 to Intelligence, bringing the Constitution value to 0 and the Intelligence value to +4.
Increasing Ability Scores
All Feats have two Enhanced Ability Scores marked; when you mark the Feat in the character sheet, choose only one. Every 4 Feats that enhance the same Ability Score increase its value by 1.
To increase the Ability Score beyond 4, magic items or spells are necessary. The increase in Ability Score has a retroactive effect only for increases in Constitution, affecting the maximum Hit Points.
The increase in Characteristics immediately applies the modifier to Skill Checks, Saving Throws, Attack Rolls, Initiative, and Magic. The increase in intelligence affects the subsequent level in terms of the increase in acquired Skills.
Low Characteristics: Players will still complain about the Ability Scores rolled, it’ **s normal, especially less experienced players. Try to make them understand that they shouldn’ **t limit themselves to looking at the Ability Scores but see the overall picture of the character. Suggest Feats that can help them compensate for the Ability Score values.
The Character Sucks!: Having low Ability Scores is not the death of the character! Rather, try to play so that it’ **s not necessary to roll dice or make checks! Strive to be witty, intuitive, proactive, clever… in short, everything that can help you solve the situation without necessarily having to roll dice. In OBSS, the Narrator rewards players who describe and excel in what the character does!
It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities. Albus Dumbledore