2.8. Ability Boxes

The right side of Page 2 is dedicated to your Abilities. The top of the page contains a place to note the Damage amounts and Damage Types for each of your Basic Attacks. Below that you will find a place to list your Constitution, your Class(es), and all of your Abilities.

Be sure to learn the shorthands discussed in 1.2. Dice Mechanics and 1.5. Abilities to help lessen what all you need to write down for each Ability. Doing so will help save space and help you find things faster while playing.

Basic Attack Boxes

The Basic Attack Boxes contain a reference to each of your Archetype Stats, a place to note how much Damage your Basic Attacks can deal for each Score Range, and a place to note the Damage Type of your Basic Attack.

Archetype Stats

The first thing listed in each of the Basic Attack Boxes is an Archetype Stat that correlates with each attack.

Whenever you perform a Basic Attack, you will use the Archetype Stat as your main Modifier for the Test. Most other Abilities in the game will also use one of the three Archetype Stats as the Modifier for their Tests.

The Three Basic Attacks

Your Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, and Magic Attack will be among some of the most used and referenced Abilities, especially during Encounters. Each of these Basic Attacks can have their Damage modified by weapons, Perks, and other Abilities. To help you remember how much Damage and what type of Damage each Basic Attack deals, you should note your Damage amount and Type for each Basic Attack in its relevant box. If you have multiple weapons or frequently use an Ability that changes the details of your Basic Attack, a second set of results boxes is provided.

It should also be noted that each of the three Basic Attacks is subtly different from one another.

Melee Attack

The default amount of Damage for your Melee Attack is 0 on a Low Score, 1 on a Mixed Score, and 2 on a High Score. Equipping a Melee Weapon raises each of those by 1.

The default Damage Type is Solid/Blunt Damage. Melee Weapons often change that Damage Type as well.

Your total amount of Melee Attack Damage can also be improved by using your Fighter Upgrades to improve your Melee Attack.

Ranged Attack

The default amount of Damage for your Ranged Attack is 0 on a Low Score, 1 on a Mixed Score, and 2 on a High Score. Equipping a Ranged Weapon raises your Passing Score Damage amounts by 1.

Even without a Ranged Weapon, you can often still perform an improvised Ranged Attack by throwing objects you find nearby. When making an improvised Ranged Attack, you will have the "Improvised" Penalty.

The default Damage Type is Solid/Blunt Damage, though it can vary depending on what you throw. Ranged Weapons generally change what Damage Type your Ranged Attack invokes.

Your total amount of Ranged Attack Damage can also be improved by using your Rogue Upgrades to improve your Ranged Attack.

Magic Attack

The default amount of Damage for your Magic Attack is 0 on a Low Score, 0 on a Mixed Score, and 1 on a High Score. Equipping a Magic Weapon raises your Passing Score Damage amounts by 1.

The default Damage Type is Fluid/Blunt Damage. Your Magic Weapon generally will not change what Damage Type your Magic Attack invokes. Instead, your Damage Type will most often be changed by Abilities that build off of the Magic Attack. Extra space is provided in the Magic Attack Box so you can make note of your most-used damaging Spells that extend your Magic Attack.

Your total amount of Magic Attack Damage can also be improved by using your Mage Upgrades to improve your Magic Attack.

Abilities

At the top of the Abilities Box, you will find spaces to note your Constitution and Class(es). When creating your character, you will choose one Constitution and one starting Class. These will grant you several bonuses and also provide some guidance on what Abilities might fit your character best. The rest of the Abilities Box provides a place to note which Abilities you have learned.

Constitution

Your Constitution represents the key physical makeup of your character and grants you starting Abilities that express those features. Your Constitution defines how much Health and Vitality you have and may also start you off with Defenses or additional Movement. Each Constitution also lists how many starting Trait Abilities and Class Abilities you can gain.

If you wish to play a simple, human-like character, the "Mortal Constitution" serves as a good starting place and will start you off with more capabilities from your chosen Class. For many other fantasy archetypes, like elves, the "Non-mortal Constitution" is a great place to start and grants you a nice mixture of Trait Abilities and Class Abilities.

The Constitution List in the Appendix divides up all of the Constitutions by rarity level. Speak with your GM to see what type of world they are hoping to capture. If the setting is more grounded, they may prefer you pick a "Common" Constitution to start, possibly switching out your Constitution in the event that your physical form begins to change.

Class

When creating your character, you will also need to choose a starting Class from the Class Ability List. You may want to work with other Players to ensure that you are not picking the same Classes (though there is often enough variation in how you can build your character that it can be fine to overlap.)

Classes represent the focus, training, and background for your character. Your Class will specify which Class Abilities are the best to start with, but also which other Classes complement your starting Class the most. You are not required stick to your chosen Class's Abilities. That said, if you venture into other Classes, check with other Players to ensure that you are not stepping on their toes.

Abilities List

The space to list your Abilities provides a few labels for the Ability Time and which Modifier should be used for the Ability Test.

Under Ability Time, you should place the shorthand described in 1.5. Abilities: "A" for Action, "FA" for Free Action, "R" for Reaction, "FR" for Free Reaction, "P" for Passive, or "S" for Slow Action. If an Ability takes a longer amount of time, list the time as the minutes or hours it will take to take effect.

For the Ability Test, you should note which of the three Archetype Stats is used for that Ability: "F" for Fighter, "R" for Rogue, or "M" for Mage. If a Modifier is needed other than one of the Archetype Stats, you should note the Ability Test as a "*", then specify which Modifier should be used in the Ability description to the right. If no Modifier is needed, note an "N/A" next to the Ability.

You can then copy the details of each Ability into the space to the right.

Next Up: 2.9. Tracker Boxes