Attributes

The majority of characters have nine attributes, grouped into three categories: Physical, Social and Mental. Normal mortal humans and most animals are limited to ratings of between 1 and 5, though in extreme cases they may have attribute ratings of zero. Especially large or fast animals may have Physical attributes beyond this range, though they rarely outclass humans in the other categories.

Supernatural creatures, including vampires, werewolves, and demons, are often capable of raising their attributes beyond mortal capability. These greater limits may be temporarily granted by the application of supernatural powers, or permanent, as the creature's supernatural body and mind have potential beyond the limitations of mortals.

## Attribute Counts

The attributes used in the server are as follows:

### Physical Attributes:

Strength - raw physical strength.

Dexterity - speed and ease of movement, covering both full body movement (i.e. gymnastics) and hand-eye coordination.

Stamina - physical hardiness, including resistance to disease and physical trauma and how fast you can recover.

### Social Attributes:

Charisma - how you come across to others socially; how you conduct yourself in public when not actively interacting with others.

Manipulation - how easily you bend others to your will, either through persuasion or threats.

Appearance - your level of attractiveness; may be raised temporarily with clothing or other adornment.

### Mental Attributes:

Intelligence - memory and raw brain power.

Perception - your ability to notice things, to perceive the world around you, through all your senses.

Wits - quickness of thinking; measures how easily you make leaps of logic or intuition.

A single point represents the low end of human potential. A rating of 2 is average for humanity taken as a whole, and 3 represents distinctly above-average capability. Four dots make the character one of the best in the region in the quality that Attribute represents, and a character with five dots is one of the best in the world, or at least one of the best likely to ever appear in the chronicle.

You start out with one dot in all your attributes unless you want a Demon, Ghost, Elder One or Gargoyle, then no adding any dots to your appearance, its zero remember?

You can divide your points (listed below) between any section of the Attributes. So seven for social instead of physical if you wish.

The following is the listing of points each type of character is allowed.

Oddity: 7/5/3

Ancillae: 9/6/4

Elder Beings: 10/7/5

Mortal/Ghouls/Infernalists/Sorcerers: 6/4/3

### PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

The Physical Attributes measure qualities of the body, such as strength, speed, coordination, resilience and so on. Oddities may temporarily increase their Physical Attributes by "burning blood."

#### Strength

Strength is a character's innate muscle power, governing how much he can lift and how hard he can hit. Strength is the Attribute that can provide damage dice for most combat feats, as well as for leaps, shoves and the like.

• Poor. You can lift 40 lbs.

•• Average. You can lift 100 lbs.

••• Good. You can lift 250 lbs.

•••• Exceptional. You can lift 400 lbs.

••••• Outstanding. You lift 650 lbs.; you routinely break the bones of (and otherwise intimidate) anyone who gets in your way.

#### Dexterity

Dexterity covers the qualities of physical prowess apart from strength, such as speed, agility, coordination and so on. The ability to hit things at a distance and to move gracefully both depend on Dexterity.

• Poor. You are always awkward and often clumsy.

•• Average. You get through life without too many embarrassing accidents.

••• Good. You move with notable grace, and you can do well at the athletic efforts that attract your interest.

•••• Exceptional. You could be a professional tumbler or other acrobat, and you have the reflexes to make an outstanding warrior.

••••• Outstanding. You have the constant grace of a demigod.

#### Stamina

Stamina includes overall health, toughness and resilience. Characters with high Stamina can take more damage in and out of combat, and they recover more quickly from the injuries they do suffer.

• Poor. Your existence is a constant parade of minor (and major) miseries. In life, you got hurt easily and healed slowly.

•• Average. You're of average health.

••• Good. In life, you seldom succumbed to the illness sweeping around you. In unlife, you resist injury better than many oddities.

•••• Exceptional. You keep going in the face of challenges that exhaust others.

••••• Outstanding. Perhaps Adam and Eve were this vigorous before the Fall.

### SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES

Social Attributes measure how well a character deals with others in various ways. They encompass their appearance, charm, ability to master social graces and so on. Social Attributes provide the dice for rolls to make a good first impression, impress or cow others and understand what's happening in one's community.

#### Charisma

Charisma is the mysterious quality that lets one person impress and please others through force of personality. Charisma plays a part in efforts to win others' trust and sympathy, and to bring them into alignment with the character's own views and goals.

• Poor. Even your best moments contain many minor gaffes.

•• Average. You seldom give unintended offense, and you enjoy reasonable social standing among your peers and neighbours.

••• Good. People trust you and enjoy your company without always realizing how much of your outlook they're adopting.

•••• Exceptional. You naturally lead whatever group you're in.

••••• Outstanding. You have the confidence of the blessed.

#### Manipulation

Manipulation is the quality of expressing oneself in ways that get others to agree, even if they don't necessarily trust the character. Where Charisma brings allegiance, Manipulation brings obedience in the present moment, with or without lasting affiliation. Note that Manipulation isn't necessarily dishonest: People can and do use rhetorical tricks in the service of causes that they genuinely believe in.

• Poor. You have a hard time sounding sincere even when you are.

•• Average. You can persuade and be persuaded about as easily as anyone else.

••• Good. You're accustomed to getting your way.

•••• Exceptional. You have the makings of a good preacher or inquisitor.

••••• Outstanding. Your words move all who hear them to aid your cause, and you speak with divine (or demonic) charm.

#### Appearance

Appearance is the sum of all the factors that make an individual attractive to others. Physical beauty is part of it, but so are one's implicit attitudes, the subtle cues of body movement and poise and many other less obvious features.

• Poor. You're ugly by the standards of your own society and those of many others.

•• Average. You're inconspicuous.

••• Good. You attract favourable attention almost everywhere you go.

•••• Exceptional. You stand out in nearly any crowd, for good and ill.

••••• Outstanding. People routinely compare you to a demigod or angel incarnate.

## Mental Attributes

Mental Attributes are qualities of the mind, such as reasoning, intuition and sharpness of the senses (which is as much a matter of understanding what the senses tell one as the quality of the sensorial organs). Depending on the individual, high Mental Attributes can represent wide-ranging genius or more focused cleverness.

### Perception

Perception is the ability to accurately sense one's environment. It combines keen senses with the intuitive grasp of what may or may not be significant, without needing to pause for laboured analysis. It contributes to efforts at concealment and finding what others have concealed, as well as preparing for and defending against ambushes and to interpreting clues.

• Poor. You may be bright but self-absorbed or simply inattentive.

•• Average. Subtlety may elude you, but you don't miss the obvious, and you can do all right with the obscure if you have time and good circumstances.

••• Good. You're aware of your environment in significant detail without having to strain at it.

•••• Exceptional. Little can remain hidden from you when you choose to find it. You see all things clearly.

••••• Outstanding. The book of the world opens its every page to you.

### Intelligence

Intelligence includes a character's ability to master facts and knowledge, recall them at need and put them together to produce new insights. Problem-solving and logic lie within the domain of Intelligence. It does not include common sense, moral judgement or other useful qualities, and the clever but inept scholar is as much a medieval stereotype as a modern one. Depending on the individual, low Intelligence many indicate actual impairment in mental faculties or poor use of one's potential.

• Poor. If you're not actually a half-wit, surely you have less than one full wit.

•• Average. You're remarkable, and you manage to get through life without too much bewilderment.

••• Good. You're insightful, and you can count on making sense of many mysteries.

•••• Exceptional. You learn much, forget little and routinely make innovations in your chosen field.

••••• Outstanding. You're a latter-day Solomon or Odysseus.

### Wits

Wits is the capacity for quick thinking: not necessarily for brilliant intellectual reasoning or even for careful appraisal of the environment, but rapid response based on available information and survival instinct. It also contributes to more deliberate efforts to identify clever courses of action and ways around others' defences and recall precisely the necessary datum at the key moment.

• Poor. Your jokes fall flat and you're the last to notice.

•• Average. You get through life without too many unpleasant surprises.

••• Good. You're quick on the uptake, and you often get the best of others when speed is essential.

•••• Exceptional. You're the one who makes everyone else think, "I wish I'd thought of that."

••••• Outstanding. You have the Psalmist's gift for the appropriate response for every occasion.