Character Actions

All character abilities are measured by the number of dice which they add to your roll.

Attributes
For normal humans, Muscles, Nerves and Spirit range from 1 to 7 dice with 3 dice as the human average.
 * Muscles (aka MUS or STR) contributes strength and toughness to a die pool. Muscles is like strength and parts of constitution in other games.
 * Nerves (aka NER or DEX) contributes agility, quickness, and hand/eye coordination to a die pool. Nerves is like dexterity and parts of wisdom in other games.
 * Spirit (SPI) contributes intuition and luck to a die pool. SPI is used for magic and the supernatural.
 * Hit Points (HP) = MUS + NER + SPI.

General Skills
General Skills are Melee, Missiles, Athletics, Awareness, and Magic. Each applies to a broad array of actions. Normal human General Skills range from 1 to 9 dice. Do not confuse the General Skill of Athletics with the die roll for Athletic Actions.

Derived Values
These 6 values are used frequently so players will find it valuable to keep them handy. Note that "Movement" is a die roll used for initiative and in races, while "Speed" is the maximum distance which can be travelled in one melee round.


 * Fortitude Save (also Strength Test): STR + STR + SPI (mostly the body, but requires some will.)
 * Reflex Save (also Dodging roll): DEX + SPI + Athletics (quickness, intuition and training)
 * Will Save: STR + SPI + SPI (mostly the spirit, but requires some stamina)
 * Magic Save: 'Hit Points + SPI - Magic (Hit Points with a bonus for SPI > Magic)
 * Speed: 5 feet times (5 + the median of STR, DEX, and Athletics)
 * Athletic Actions (includes Movement): STR + DEX + Athletics (muscles, quickness and training); use for running, climbing, jumping, etc.

Awareness Roll will be replaced by Narrow Skills for Perception and Stealth. → Perception Roll = SPI + Awareness + Narrow Skill → Stealth Roll = DEX + Awareness + Narrow Skill
 * Awareness Roll roll: DEX + SPI + Awareness (quickness, intuition and training); use for attempts to see, hear, etc. (perception) or to remain unseen, unheard, etc. (stealth)

Narrow-Skills
For most actions Bob doesn't really need a Narrow Skill; he can roll using just the appropriate Attribute and General Skill dice. Narrow Skills represent additional specialized training. A few actions (eg. spells) are difficult or impossible without this specialized training. Normal human Narrow Skills can range from 0 to 12 dice. Melee weapon skills are used both for attacks and for parries.

Weapon Skills
 * Brawling: Unarmed combat.
 * Dagger/Knife: a short, light, sharp blade.
 * Club/Mace: Includes most blunt weapons.
 * Sword: Includes all 1-handed blades larger than a dagger.
 * Axe: Includes all 1 handed chopping weapons.
 * Spear/Polearm (Melee): Includes both 1 and 2-handed pole-arms and lances.
 * 2-Handed Weapons: Individual Narrow Skills for Greatsword, Battle Axe, and Staff.
 * Throwing: Includes rocks, throwing daggers, hatchets, javelins, and bombs.
 * Missiles: Individual Narrow Skills for Sling, Bow, and Firearms.
 * Individual Narrow Skills for magical spells or similar powers.
 * Individual Narrow Skills for Disguise, Lock Picking, Tracking (includes Hunting), [more?]

Crossbows and Firearms use the same skill. Existing crossbow skills change to firearms skill.

Change Under Consideration: Add Stealth and Perception as Narrow Skills

Bonus-Skills
Bonus Skills also represent specialized training, but they grant dice which are in addition to the basic die pool. In most other respects they are like Narrow Skills.

Replaced Text * Martial Arts is a bonus to unarmed attacks: roll STR + Melee + Brawling + Martial Arts. It also allows a bare-handed parry and riposte with a roll DEX + Melee + Martial Arts (Brawling is not included in this parry). Martial Arts dice cannot exceed Brawling dice.

New Text -- does not change results for unarmed attacks: * Martial Arts is a bonus to all melee attack and parry rolls, but only unarmed attacks and parries get the full benefit of Martial Arts. Using any weapon reduces the Martial Arts contribution to the roll: weapons which are both light & blunt reduce Martial Arts by 1 die; light & sharp by 2: normal & blunt by 3; normal & sharp by 4; heavy & blunt (includes shield for parries only) by 5; heavy & sharp by 6. (These values are based on the increase in damage over unarmed; you can use them for any weapon with the same total damage adjustment as the listed type.) Martial Arts dice cannot exceed Brawling dice.


 * Riding: Riding dice are added as a bonus to actions performed from horseback, but only when those actions would logically be more likely to succeed from horseback (eg. melee combat with an appropriate weapon). They can also be used with STR and DEX to save against mishaps while on horseback.
 * Swimming: Anyone can try to swim by making an Athletics roll, but Swimming adds a bonus to that roll.

The Basic Die Pool
Bob's Basic Die Pool consists of dice from 3 abilities (ie. 3 of Bob's Attributes, General Skills, or Narrow Skills, but not Bob's Bonus Skills). Use whichever abilities are most appropriate to your action. Bob's final die pool may also include dice for such things as as armor, spell effects, Bonus Skills and environmental factors. Action and Defense Rolls get a minimum of 3 dice in their final die pool; thus you always have enough dice to take an action. Characters who are unconscious, bound, etc. cannot act, but still get 3 dice if for some reason a roll is needed.

Basic Die Pools For Standard Actions
If an appropriate General Skill and an appropriate Narrow Skill exist for an action, then it is a Standard Action. Add the most appropriate Attribute and you have the formula for Bob's roll. Examples are:


 * Melee attack: STR + Melee + Narrow Skill dice for weapon used. (Can be either dodged or parried.)
 * Parry: DEX + Melee + Narrow Skill for weapon used.
 * Missile attack: DEX + Missiles + Narrow Skill for dice weapon used. (Can be dodged but not parried.)
 * Magic spell: SPI + Missiles + Narrow Skill dice for the spell being cast.

Basic-Die-Pools For Other Actions
Attributes and Skills can be combined in other ways, if that better represents the situation being resolved. However, Bob may never use more than 3 of his Attributes, General Skills and Narrow Skills to form his Basic Die Pool for an Action or Defense Roll, nor more than 2 for a Second-Roll.
 * Lock-picking: DEX + SPI + Lock Picking