Maratha's stat system is cut down considerably from the sort of structure found on many games. Not so much in terms of base attributes (of which there are seven), but definitely so when it comes to skills; we have only three. The reason for this is that stats here are intended only to mediate combat and other such 'direct opposition' type scenarios; they are not meant to describe and define a character in full.
There is no attendant HP meter, either; rather, any single combat action is reflected in a pair of rolls, 'action' and 'reaction'. The difference between these rolls determines the severity of any injury; if the difference is great enough in any one hit, a character can die. Cumulative damage over several rounds results in unconsciousness and/or death.
See also: Outcomes and Damage
Meanings
Stats:
- Constitution: Your stamina and endurance. The physical ability to keep going.
- This stat may be rolled for: resistance to a physical hit, continuing in spite of a physical state such as fatigue or illness, running, etc.
- Dexterity: Your agility and speed; how fast your reflexes are, how quickly you sprint.
- This stat factors in dodging, quick movements, etc.; may be used for very short bursts of speed.
- Strength: Your ability to lift weight. Also, how hard you hit.
- This is rolled when you try to pick up / carry something heavy — and when you take an unaimed swing at something.
- Intelligence: Your wit, cleverness, mental acuity. Also reflects a mage's knowledge of basic glyphs.
- This stat is most often rolled by mages, for casting any simple (usually single-glyph) spell.
- Perception: The ability to recognize a pattern, or notice anything else — whether it's something out of place or someone creeping up behind you.
- Roll this to determine if you realize there's an unusual almond taste in your coffee, to hear footsteps in the darkness, to see someone creeping up on the edge of your vision, etc.
- Charisma: The silverness of your tongue. How easily you can cajole another person into doing what you want. Also reflects how intimidating the character is — how easily they can scare someone into doing what they want.
- If you want to persuade the guard to let you go, frighten a thug into running away, or glare down a hunting predator, this is the stat you'd use.
- Willpower: Determination, resolution; the mental equivalent of constitution. Also used by mages in casting complicated spells, where it's focus and concentration more than knowledge that determine success.
- Used to resist mental attacks/probes, as well as in the casting of multi-glyph and/or uncommon spells.
Skills
All skills reflect general ability in an area. If you've had basic training in an array of swords, axes, and polearms, for example, you'd have a higher Melee than someone who's really good with a sword but abysmal when using any other weapon.
- Melee: Your aptitude with handheld, close-range weapons: swords, axes, knives, maces, staves, polearms, etc.
- Range: Your skill with distance weapons: bows, crossbows, throwing knives, shuriken, etc.
- Unarmed: Your combat ability when lacking any weapon but your own body. If you've had a lot of experience in barfights, or a moderate amount of martial arts training, your Melee might be a little above average. If you've had a lifetime of training in martial arts, it'll be higher yet.
Stat and Skill Values
Stats and skills are ranked on the same -3 to 3 scale:
| +3 |
Extremely capable (upper percentiles of human ability) |
| +2 |
Significantly above average |
| +1 |
Above adult human average |
| 0 |
Adult human average |
| -1 |
Below adult human average; teenager average |
| -2 |
Significantly below average; child average |
| -3 |
Utterly and absolutely inept; infant average |
Values below -1 are unlikely for most players (although possible). The average character will have base stats in the -1 to 1 range. High-level mages and tainted are more likely to have a couple at 2.
See also: Setting up Your Stats
Gifts and Flaws
Gifts and flaws are modifiers used to fine-tune a stat; they reflect specializations, ability (and inability) that base stats cannot themselves describe sufficiently.
Take the example above of a specialist in sword skill, who is average with any other Melee weapon, but very adept with a sword. His Melee stat would only be 0, but he can have a Gift adding +2 for any sword-wielding roll.
Gifts can cover everything from unusually keen senses to specialized skills to any other situational bonus.
Flaws are disabilities in an area. This could be a lack of training in a particular skill, poor senses, effects from old injuries, personality flaws that crop up in a particular context, or anything else that would affect the character's ability.
Note: Only gifts and flaws that impact the above stats and skills need be listed in your sheet.
See also: the modifiers section of Using Stats and +Roll
