Character Creation Part 1: Attributes

Attributes define a characters abilities in the broadest sense, measuring the raw capability and talent present in a character. They also serve as the basis for determining a number of important secondary characteristics, as well as affecting the default values of the various skills which characters may train in. They may also be rolled against by themselves in circumstances where no specific skill applies to an action.

The eight attributes and the capabilities they cover in ASID are as follows:

Strength (STR): A character's raw muscle power and build
Agility (AGI): Gross motor control and movement ability
Constitution (CON): Endurance and durability
Dexterity (DEX): Fine motor control and hand eye coordination
Perception (PER): Sensory ability and awareness
Willpower (WIL): Strength of mental will and bravery
Intellect (INT): Intelligence and reason
Charisma (CHA): Skill at interpersonal relations and general magnetism

Normal human attribute scores range from 2-20. A 1 indicates effective non-ability in that particular attribute. An animal for instance, will generally have a 1 in Intellect. 20 is the theoretical limit of human ability, but some superhuman creatures, or enhanced mechanical devices such as powered armor, may exceed 20.

Attribute checks are made by subtracting 1 from the attribute score, and multiplying the result by 5 in order to find the number the player must roll under in order to succeed. The GM may apply bonuses or negatives to modify the difficulty of a check.

Players may choose from two methods for generating their character's attributes: Point buy, or random rolling.

In point buy, the character is given 90 points to assign across all 8 attributes. No attribute may go lower than 2, nor higher than 20.

In random rolling, the player rolls 2d10 9 times, and then assigns the resulting numbers to his attributes as desired. Alternately, if a player is looking for a more unpredictable result, he can simply roll 2d10 for each attribute in turn, applying whatever result should come up on the dice.