SoSy:Abilities
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Abilities Summary
Abilities are representations of a character's skill with tasks both learned and innate. Some examples of abilities are Sailing, Tracking, Sword-fighting, and Oratory.
Abilities are always associated with a pool. This is shown by writing the name of the pool - or an abbreviation - after the ability name, like this: "Stealth (Instinct)" or just "Stealth (I)." This pool is the resource from which characters draw their strength with that ability. This pool can be used to increase one's chances with an ability. Some game effects apply to all abilities that are associated with a specific pool.
Inate Abilities
There are three abilities common to every character. These are called innate abilities. They are purely reactive, and cannot be used to initiate action. They are only used to protect your character. They are:
- Endure (Vigor)
- This is your character's ability to push on and persevere though pain and fatigue. It is used to test the limits of a character's physicality and fitness.
- React (Instinct)
- This measures the quickness of a character's body and mind. It is as much "how quick the character notices something" as "how quick the character moves."
- Resist (Reason)
- "Resist" is the strength of a character's will, and is used to prevent compulsion of a natural or supernatural type. This includes physical compulsion: "Resist" would be used for a character to keep his cool under torture, for example, while "Endure" would be used to see how long he could stay conscious under the same torture.
Other Abilities
All other abilities are dependent on the game's setting. Many abilities will be considered open abilities, which means any character can take them, even even with no skill. Some, however, will be closed abilities, which depend on a prerequisite. This prerequisite is often the species a character is or a culture the character has been exposed to.
Ability Ranks
Abilities are ranked with adjectives. An ability can have the following ranks: Unskilled, Competent, Adept, Master, and Grand Master. These adjectives do match up with a number, which is used in resolution.
The resolution system will be explained in further detail later, but here's what you need to know:
- Being Unskilled in an ability, you can try to perform tasks that fall under that ability, but you'll usually fail. You'll succeed at about two out of every five tries.
- When you get to be Competent, you're now ready to really use your skills. You'll succeed over half the time; in fact, you'll succeed at more than three out of every five tries.
- As an Adept, you'll almost always succeed - 85 percent of the time, at least.
- As a Master, it takes a freak chance for you to fail.
- Grand Masters literally cannot ever fail.
It's important to note, though, that even someone with no ability can beat a Grand Master. The odds are far against them, but they could give it a try.
| Ability Rank | Associated Number |
|---|---|
| Unskilled | 0 |
| Competent | 1 |
| Adept | 2 |
| Master | 3 |
| Grand Master | 4 |
