Alright, lumpy heads. Once again, I have set out on a quest to discover the PERFECT STAT LIST for use in a home brew system. What are your favorite lists? Are they role-based like in Warrior Rogue Mage? Are they approach-based like in FATE Accelerated or PbtA? Or good ol’ S/D/C/I/W/C? Do you use a universal list or customize it to the setting?
What're Your Dream Stats?
I’ve given that a lot of though and I’ve concluded that you cannot have a “perfect stat list”, you need a good enough stat list for your game.
But…S/D/C/I/W/C has passed the test of time and repeatedly come out as enough. Fate Accelerated Approaches are just a more different way of doing the same thing. I think a skill list works if you’re making a game where it’s ‘what you know’ more than ‘what you are’ that defines your character.
Castle Falkenstein had an interesting take on the stats list. Here is a sampling of what that system used:
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Animal Handling (Animal Skills)
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Athletics (Physical Skills)
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Charisma (Likeability)
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Comeliness (Personal Beauty)
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Connections (Knowledge of People)
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Courage (Reaction under Pressure)
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Education (Formal Training)
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Exchequer (Personal Wealth)
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Fencing (Skill with Swords)
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Fisticuffs (Skill in Fighting)
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Gambling (Skill in Gambling)
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Leadership (Ability to Lead)
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Marksmanship (Skill with Range Weapons)
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Outdoorsmanship (Survival Skills)
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Perception (Attention to Detail)
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Performance (Skill in Performing)
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Physician (Medical Skills)
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Physique (Physical Strength)
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Piloting (Skill with Vehicles)
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Riding (Skill with Riding Animals)
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Social Graces (Social Skills and Status)
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Sorcery (Magickal Prowess)
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Stealth (Sneaking Skill)
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Tinkering (Crafting and Inventing Skill)
Pretty much. If I’m honest my FAVORITE stat list is the chronicles of darkness one, because that 3x3 grid is just so great, but if I’m REALLY honest, with 9 stats I have trouble making sure they all get even use.
I’ve always loved the World of Darkness Stats. something about mixing and matching the abilities with the skills, but with a simple creation process. It had a rich feel to it.
But then you play, and it’s hit or miss if you’re actually going to use more than 8 of those 30 odd skills.
and then…do you really need to have a 9 Attributes? It could have just been “Power, Finesse, Resistance” or “Physical, Social, Mental”. Or, just the 9 Attributes and no Skills. I could see a case for a system using 9 attributes instead of 6. Like, WoD without the Skills.
And 9 Attributes wouldn’t be too bad. ICRPG has 11.
I’ll say that as a guy who ran decades of WoD and CoD games I eventually made all my NPC’s with power, finesse, resistance or physical, social, mental and it was just fine.
From my own home brew:
SCRAPPY
SAVVY
SUBTLE
SWAY
From an existing game (Fate Modes a la Atomic Robo):
Action
Intrigue
Science
Banter
Weird
Strength (Str + Con)
Coordination (Dexterity renamed)
Cunning (Int + the Perception part of Wisdom)
Personality (Charisma + the Willpower part of Wisdom)
Luck (DCC style)