Character Attributes

Psyche

This is the rating of the character’s mental strength. Psyche also shows the character’s force of will, and their agility in manipulating any of the powers. In addition a character with a high psyche will be sensitive to danger and to other things.

Most important, the relative rankings in psyche will determine all contests of the mind. These psychic battles often fought through one power or another, or even by touch, will be always judged by a character’s psyche. The loser in a psychic battle can, if overwhelmed, be killed by the power of the mind alone.

Why bid on Psyche? Mental power, no matter what your power base, is the battery that runs things. Whatever of the powers you have, it is the character with the highest rank in psyche who will be most feared or respected.

Strength

Strength rates the character’s muscles, and therefore the damage that a character can inflict in hand to hand combat, as well as the character’s resistance to damage.

Once characters lay hands on each other, or those that would oppose them, the contest, no matter what it might have been before, becomes one of sheer strength. Unlike other form of combat, where a character can usually run away, there is likely no escape from a wrestling match with a character of superior strength.

Why bid on Strength? If there is any such thing as a “sure thing” it is having a superior ranking in strength. Most combat can go either way, influence by any number of factors, but once you’ve got your hands around your enemy’s throat, all that counts is strength.

Endurance

When normal mortals tire after a few minutes of fierce combat, ranked individuals can keep fighting, fencing, or partying for much longer. In addition, ranked endurance includes the ability to heal wounds rapidly, even to the extent of (eventually) regenerating lost limbs and organs. In a fight of any kind, whether warfare, strength, or psyche, the character with the greatest endurance always has a chance of holding out longer than any opponent with lesser endurance, and winning by default.

Endurance is the only attribute that comes into play in every situation involving either physical combat or the use of arcane powers.

Why bid on Endurance? Frankly, you need it for everything. And, even if you are somewhat inferior in some battle, a higher rank in endurance, combined with a little patience, virtually guarantees victory. Endurance is the ultimate tie-breaker.

Warfare

Not all folks are trained in warfare, but anyone who is the use of any weapons from daggers to machine guns, requires warfare to operate skillfully. Strategy games (including power-brokering in companies, and actual, on the field tactics) are all judged according to the relative warfare of the participants.

Weakness in warfare is more dangerous than in any other attribute. That’s because the relative rank in warfare determines how long the combat will last. If the rank is too low, the character can be hurt or killed before even having a chance to flee, much less realize that they are engaged in combat, or might be at risk of their life.

Why bid on Warfare? Face it, most conflict boils down to warfare. There’s nothing faster, nothing more decisive. Power usage and finesse are determined by warfare, just as the flash of the blade is. A mark of a respected character is one who uses both skillfully.