3. The Bare Bones Stats

[Storyteller Joy]

The Bare Bones Stats

In our game there are pre-determined moves (and results- with some keeping from the staff) to provide your character with things to do and ways to communicate clearly to the staff your *doing stuff*. That helps *us* figure out how to help *you*.

There are basic moves for everyone.

Those are:
Act Under Pressure, used for any difficult or dangerous action that isn't covered by another move.
Help Out, used to help another hunter do something. If you succeed, you'll give them a bonus on their task.
Investigate a Mystery, used to work out what kind of monster you are dealing with, what it can do, and what it's planning.
Kick Some Ass, used for fighting. Fighting monsters, mainly.
Manipulate Someone, used to try and get someone to do something for you, after you give them some kind of reason.
Protect Someone, used to save someone from danger.
Read a Bad Situation, used to work out what dangers are immediately threatening you. For instance, if you think you are walking into a trap, or want to do some tactical analysis.
Use Magic, used to cast magic spells or use enchanted items.

Pretty simple right? Later you will choose “extra” moves that your character can do to help make them not just “that other person over there.” But first we need to figure out… what is your character Good at? What’s your character ‘Bad’ at? And how do those things affect the moves above?

No matter what you’ll be rolling 2D6 (the dice in the forum just do 2!) The combined total will be “how well your thing worked out”. A 12-10 means a success, a 9-7 means a “meh. It worked, but not as great as you hoped” and a 6-2 means you failed and shiznets about to hit the fan. All hope isn’t lost, “Stats” are what add “bonuses” to those rolls.

For example, if you are rolling “Kick Some Ass” and get a 6- the stat “Tough” adds whatever bonuses (or negatives) to that roll. If your “Tough” is a 1- that turns that 6 into a 7. Suddenly your triumphant failure has turned into a marginal success--- That’s the difference between you, and that foolish person who opted to take a -1!

There are five stats total

Charm is how pleasant and persuasive you are. It is added to your die roll for the Manipulate Someone basic move.
Cool is how calm and collected you are. It is added to your die roll for the Act Under Pressure and help out basic moves.
Sharp is how observant you are (and the “mental” stat of our game). It is added to your die roll for the Investigate a Mystery” and Read a Bad Situation basic moves.
Toughis how strong and mean you are in a fight. It is added to your die roll for the Kick Some Ass and Protect Someone basic movies.
Weird is how attuned to the supernatural you are. It is added to your die roll for the Use Magic basic move.

The ratings range from -1 to +3:

-1 is bad
0 is average
+1 is good
+2 is really good
+3 is phenomenal.

You have two choices on how to decide your characters stats. The ST offers a choice of “fifteen” options below- carefully scripted to a certain “type” of person. These are ‘broad’ descriptions and in no way “box” your character in, they are meant to show the “types” of characters who might have these stats… There’s always the unique individual who defies the odds! And remember- a 0 is *average* not bad! Your second choice, should you feel the below stats are “limiting” is to create your own.

*Note* “Weird” is often -1 or 0. Earth doesn’t have much “Magic” on it to believe in it, let alone use it regularly.

Example Stat Groups

Average Person: Nice, good grip on reality, good at thinking, and just average on magic and physical prowess, your general person. Charm 1 Cool 1 Sharp 1 Tough 0 Weird 0

Athlete: A physical person, with a good eye on their surroundings. Magic is completely limited to DnD Geeks and Movies. Charm 0 Cool 0 Sharp 1 Tough 3 Weird -1

Deep Thinker: Quick thinking and analytical, and still able to keep pretty cool under pressure to make decisions. Not the toughest of individuals, but not everyone can be a fighter. Charm 0 Cool 1 Sharp 3 Tough -1 Weird 0

Social Magnet: Born with the gift of gab and a silver tongue, this person can charm people like bees to honey. They may not be the best at Magic, but they make up for it quick thinking and a gift for gab. Charm 3 Cool 0 Sharp 1 Tough 0 Weird -1

Mystic: Ever since you were a kid, or perhaps after some near death accident, or just a spot of horrid luck, you’ve known there’s something “real” about magic. You've studied what you can and at times, even seemed to sense some areas let you “touch” something…. That’s different. You've developed an “eye” for spotting such weak spots where magic leaks through. Otherwise your pretty average. Charm 0 Cool 0 Sharp 1 Tough 0 Weird 2

Gut Instinct: Your one Lucky person. Your Cool under pressure, you've got an eye on everything and your gut consistently gives you “hunches”- some may call it a gift, you just figure your more lucky than most. Charm 0 Cool 1 Sharp 1 Tough 0 Weird 1

Tactician: Your one cool thinker on your feet, sharp, and with enough leadership qualities people even listen when you speak. You’re not a fighter, but you enjoy mind games and playing the field like a true strategist. Charm 1 Cool 1 Sharp 2 Tough -1 Weird 0

Quick Talker: Your one cool cucumber. Your unfazable and rooted deep like a tree. Your smart, charming and very rarely does something faze you. Your grounded and rooted in reality and secure in that knowledge. Charm 1 Cool 2 Sharp 1 Tough 0 Weird -1

Loner: Your as social as a rock, but that's okay You don't need them anyway. You have good instincts, a good brain and the abillity to get in and out of scrapes without panicking. Unlike the hermit, you aren't particularly a bookworm, but prefer to dabble. Charm -1 Cool 1 Sharp 1 Tough 1 Weird 1

Popular Kid: You were the popular kid, probably some rich kid or someone with incredible talent. You could charm the leaves off the trees and be both collected and physical enough to be good at sports. You were the one with fifty friends and the ability to run about and do sports- not as good as the Social Magnet or Athletes, but something between the two. Charm 2 Cool 1 Sharp 0 Tough 1 Weird -1

Underdog: So you aren't charming, but you have a surviving vibe that seems to thrive almost on being someone who struggles from the bottom and works your way to the top. Charm -1 Cool 1 Sharp 1 Tough 2 Weird 0

The Bully : Your tough, and charming, the bad boy or bad girl with a flare. You are used to getting your own way, either by physical or social prowess. Your not stupid and you don't fly off the handle, but Magic is right out of your world view and may be hard to swallow at first as a "real thing". Charm 2 Cool 0 Sharp 0 Tough 2 Weird -1

Survivor: You are a survivor, able to keep your head in a crisis and equipped to handle any problems getting in - or out of trouble. Your not especially social or quick thinking, but your very good at surviving things one way or another. Charm 0 Cool 2 Sharp 0 Tough 2 Weird -1

The Hermit: A bookworm and hermit by trade and choice and your "charm" is about as rough as a porcupine. Your not a fighter, that too requires some social exercises. But your smart, and you keep your calm in situations that usually freak people out and you have a very good gut instinct with a twist- you have some minor magical ability. Perhaps it's why you prefer your own company and the company of books to people. Charm -1 Cool 1 Sharp 3 Tough -1 Weird 1

The Trickster: Life's too boring without a few tricks and practical jokes. You don't do them to be cruel- most of the time- but for the laughs and entertainment. Sometimes you just do them to make sure you are as sharp as you used to be. Your a quick thinking, charming guy-- magic and physical prowess are for the slow witted.  Charm 2 Cool 1 Sharp 2 Tough -1 Weird -1

If you are creating your own, you have a base of 3 stat points. You can chose to put -1 in any stat to add 1 point in any other stat of your choice. All stats start at 0. No stat can rise above 3, or go below a -1 at creation. Players can, of course, take and “twist” any of the above:

For example a Social Magnet (Charm 3 Cool 0 Sharp 1 Tough 0 Weird -1) could switch out where the -1 goes. Instead of being bad at magic, is just not that physical (-1 Tough instead of -1 Weird) or instead of being bad at magic, they just fall to pieces in situations where being cool and collected is a bonus. (-1 Cool instead of -1 Weird)


After you've chosen your stats continue onto step 4: Special Moves