Statistics
Overview
In our game, statistics define what a character or creature can—and cannot—do. Nearly every meaningful interaction is governed by stats in some way:
To wield a heavy weapon, the character must meet a Strength stat requirement.
To learn a new skill, they must satisfy one or more stat prerequisites.
To disarm a trap, a character must have the necessary underlying attribute scores.
When actions are attempted, stat-based checks (rolls) determine success or failure: whether an attack lands, a spell takes hold, a poison is resisted, a secret is noticed, or a social ploy convinces an NPC.
Stats should be meaningful, definitive and represent tangible attributes of a character that directly influences how they are played and what they are capable of doing, learning and interacting with in the game-world.
Simple baselines.
Because humans are the most prevalent race in the game world, they are the ‘standard’ baseline to measure against. A score of 10 in any stat is considered average from a human male standpoint. A score of 20 would be unattainable for a human—but simply ‘normal’ for a giant. Equipment rarely grants more than +1 to a stat, and even +1 is a significant upgrade—one that can change what your character is capable of doing in the game world or enhance their abilities in a tangible way.
Less gimping, more flexibility.
Stat requirements exist to give roles identity—but not to lock players out. Want to be a Cleric? A Wisdom score of 11 is adequate to be accepted in most divine orders to begin training. A Wisdom stat of 12 would make divine magic more effective—spells would be more potent, resisted less often, be easier to sustain, and would have more variety—but a Cleric with a Wisdom stat of 11 can still access a wide range of useful and effective divine abilities, and will have many different opportunities and capabilities stemming from where they allocated their extra point.
This system would be supported by unobtrusive guided allocation at character creation and clear in-game signaling about how stats influence progression in various areas. Additionally, players have open-ended opportunities to develop their character’s stats through training to fall better in line with what they want, and to utilize enchanted equipment to enhance specific stats as desired.
The goal is empowerment through choice and customization, not punishment through precision and rigidity.
One universal system.
All characters, creatures, and beings—whether player-controlled or not—use the exact same set of statistics. There are no proprietary or custom stats. A dragon, an elf, a troll and a dire wolf all draw from the same pool of stats, and all their actions in the world operate under the same mechanical rules.
This means the complexity of a trap constructed by a goblin sapper is governed by that particular goblin’s Intelligence and Dexterity (which will vary from one sapper to the next as they are not just static cookie-cutter entities), just as a Rogue’s ability to disarm that same trap depends on the Rogue’s Intelligence and Dexterity. Spell effects, weapon damage, social influence, environmental interactions—everything is resolved through the same stat-driven logic, regardless of who or what is involved.
This universality ensures fairness, predictability, and depth; giving players the opportunity to understand how interactions in the world work as a consistent set of systems and rule frameworks rather than needing to memorize specific, proprietary MoB, race and/or class attributes and abilities.
No single character does it all.
A high-Charisma, high-Spirit Paladin archetype might inspire allies and be resistant to dark magic, but struggle to notice hidden traps. A perceptive Ranger may spot those traps, but not be dexterous enough to disarm them. An intelligent wizard that has the above average dexterity necessary for the precise and coordinated gestures involved in casting arcane magic may be perfectly capable of disarming those traps however…
Parties thrive through complementarity, not redundancy. If no one in your group is a ‘dedicated trap expert’, that’s fine—one might detect it, another disarm it, or a third be able to bypass it entirely via alternate means.
Strength
Strength is a measure of a characters physical might. It affects things like melee damage, what kind of armor can be worn effectively, how much can be carried, how much strenuous activity a character can endure before tiring, etc.
Strength is important for martial combatants and any characters that wish to wear heavier armor, wield heavier weapons, inflict more melee damage and/or become exhausted less quickly.
Agility
Agility reflects an individual’s flexibility, balance, reflexes and ability to move nimbly with ease and speed. It affects things like dodging, movement and attack speed, height they can jump, etc.
Agility is important for martial combatants and specialist characters, as well as any character that wants to be able to avoid damage and/or be highly mobile.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a measure of a character’s coordination and how precise their movements are. It affects how well they can perform intricate physical tasks, their accuracy, etc.
Dexterity is important to characters who prefer accuracy and strike placement over power and for individuals who want to do things that require complex or precise movements like casting spells or picking locks.
Constitution
Constitution defines the physical hardiness of a character. It affects things like their health and resistance to disease, how quickly they heal, how much physical trauma they can endure, etc.
Constitution is important for martial combatants and any character that wants to be able to survive physical trials.
Wisdom
Wisdom is a representation of a characters judgement and sense. It affects things like their ability to reason, their intuition, etc.
Wisdom is important for divine and nature magic users as well as for specialist characters, and any individual who wants to be able to use alternate methods of overcoming obstacles.
Intelligence
Intelligence measures a characters brain power. It affects things like memory, concentration, their ability and the rate at which they learn new things, the level of complexity they can effectively comprehend, etc.
Intelligence is important for arcane magic users and specialists, as well as individuals who prefer to overcome difficulties with smarts instead of brawn.
Spirit
Spirit is a representation of an individual’s strength of character and will. It affects things like how devoted someone is, their willpower, how well they are able to resist mental influences, etc.
Spirit is important for various magic users, as well as some martial combatants and any individual’s that desire the benefit of mental and physical discipline, and those who aspire to be good leaders.
Charisma
Charisma is a representation of a character’s force of personality, presence and natural charm. It affects things like how well liked a character is initially by others, the rate they can develop relationships/reputations, their ability to influence and affect other sentient beings, etc.
Charisma is important for divine magic users and leaders, as well as some specialist characters who want to have alternatives to fighting and be able to easily develop good reputations with other beings.
Perception
Perception measures how well a character is able to gauge distance and utilize the various senses to perceive their surroundings and notice things others may miss. Individual’s with a high level of perception are able to detect enemies, traps, secrets, opponent weaknesses, etc. where those with lower perception may not be able to at all or require more time or closer proximity to notice them.
Perception is important for ranged combat and specialist characters, and any individual who wants to have good situational awareness and be able to avoid surprises/dangers.
Luck
Luck is the measure of a character’s alignment with fortune, serendipity, and the subtle bends of fate. Luck does not guarantee success—but it can tilt outcomes in a character’s favor when it matters most; boosting survival, critical and hit chances, and likelihood of discovering hidden objects or more valuable loot.
Luck is not particularly important for any one archetype, but it does have small effects to almost every interaction and thus is useful to all, particularly to those who are more focused on adventure, treasure hunting and similar pursuits over combat or magical masteries.
Other Statistics
There are several other statistic ‘pool’ variables that are integral to gameplay and interact with or are related to a number of the main statistics in various ways. Each of these stats normally regenerates at varying speeds over time unless the character or creature is suffering from a negative effect like a sickness, bleed, curse, or other effect. These stats cannot be ‘trained’ like the main statistics, but are rather directly derived from them.
Health – Health is the representation of a character or being’s general physical condition at that particular point in time. The amount of health a character or being has and how quickly it regenerates is derived from the Constitution, Strength and Spirit primary stats, the largest effector being Constitution.
Stamina – A character or being’s stamina determines how long they are able to maintain strenuous physical activity. Attacking an enemy requires stamina, running and jumping require stamina, casting a spell requires some stamina, etc. The amount of Stamina and regeneration rate is determined by the Strength, Constitution and Spirit primary stats, the largest effector being Strength.
Focus – Focus is a character or being’s level of mental energy and is used in casting spells, searching for hidden things, disarming traps, picking locks, deciphering puzzles and similar things. Focus amounts and regeneration rates a being has are determined by the Intelligence, Wisdom and Spirit primary stats, the greatest effector being Intelligence.