Potestas

Characteristics

Characteristics define inherent physical and mental qualities, a character's raw talent. There are six Characteristics, four physical, two mental.

Characteristic modifiers for a Human range between a minimum of -7 and a maximum of +7, with an average of +0. Non-Human characters may have different minimum, maximum and average Characteristic scores. Characteristic modifiers can move outside this range only under specific circumstances, such as serious injury (Health below -7), transformation into a vampire (Strength and Reflexes above +7), or magic enchantment. Like other modifiers, Characteristics double in effect every three points: +6 is twice as good as +3, -2 is twice as good as -5.

Characteristics may be temporarily or permanently modified by the outcomes of events. For example, a character's Health is reduced by injury; an illness may reduce all four physical Characteristics until the character is well again; a magic sword may increase a character's Willpower when held. The minimum modifier for effective use of a Characteristic is -6: if a Characteristic is reduced to -7, the character is incapacitated. For example, -7 Health indicates serious injury or illness and -7 Strength means the character is too weak to stand (unless smaller than average height). Characteristics modifiers cannot fall below -10 through a Lasting or Permanent effect: a Characteristic reduced to that value is completely unusable, and characters cannot recover without the assistance of magic. Immediate effects can reduce Characteristics below -10, but characters recover very quickly from such effects (usually within minutes).

Players must keep track of Permanent, Lasting and Immediate modifiers to each Characteristic, and update Skill modifiers as appropriate.

• Go forward to Abilities
• Go back to the Potestas Table of Contents
• Go back to the Potestas Front Page
• Go back to the Main Page