Statistics, Traits, and Features

A character in Trihex is made up of a lot of numbers.

Tier

A rough measure of how skilled, experience, and/or potentially dangerous a creature is. One Tier is worth 36 XP, so a Tier 2 character has (at least) 72 XP worth of skills and other abilities, and if that character gains a total of 108 XP, they advance to Tier 3! Because Tier 0 characters have no XP, they have only the basic abilities from their Kind and (potentially) their Profession.

Attributes and Skills

Attributes measure your overall capacity in an area. They are Body, Grace, Intellect, Personality, Perception, and Craft. Your rating in an attribute is the sum of all your ranks in that attribute's skills.

Skills are more specific areas of expertise, and they are the backbone of a character's abilities. Each attribute except Perception and Craft is governed by five skills, while Perception is governed by four, and Craft is usually governed by eight. Each skill has a number of ranks, starting at 0, which is the primary bonus you add to any test using that skill. Skills can be trained with XP, increasing each rank sequentially for twice the desired rank in XP. The maximum number of ranks you can have in a skill is equal to your Tier (minimum 1). For simplicity's sake, the costs for the first six ranks of a skill are shown below, with the cost for the rank alone and the cumulative cost including the prerequisite lower ranks.

  1. 2xp
  2. 4xp, 6xp total
  3. 6xp, 12xp total
  4. 8xp, 20xp total
  5. 10xp, 30xp total
  6. 12xp, 42xp total

Specialties

Specialties are exceptional abilities linked to one or more skills. Some specialties have multiple ranks, like skills, and others are simply one-time features. Like skills, learning and upgrading specialties requires XP, and a specialty lists the amount of XP it requires in its description. Some specialties require a scaling number of ranks in a skill. Active specialties happen as part of an Act, usually an action, while passive specialties usually provide constant bonuses or modify other abilities.

For an example, Sprinter is a ranked passive specialty that increases a character's Stride Speed. It costs 6xp per rank and requires a Stride Speed and 1+ ranks in Athletics. This means it requires Athletics 1 to take one rank in Sprinter, Athletics 2 to take two ranks, and so on.

Descriptors and Traits

Descriptors and traits are additional features on top of a character or item's basic statistics. Descriptors are simply notes describing facets of something, such as the goblin descriptor for goblins and hobgoblins, the attack descriptor for actions, or the deadly descriptor for weapons. Usually, a descriptor is only used in reference to other rules, although some have mechanical effects tied to them directly, especially in the case of weapon descriptors.

Traits, however, always have some rules attached to them. They include features like Amphibious, allowing a creature to breathe both air and water normally, or Dimvision, allowing a character to see better in low-light. Most often, traits will be encountered in the form of modifications to a character's senses, or attached to weapons and unarmed attacks.

Stamina

Stamina, abbreviated to STA, is a resource that represents a character's physical energy. For player characters, it is equal to 6 + ranks in Resistance + any modifiers from Professions. It is used up from strenuous activity and exertion, such as the following:

  • Each hour of physical activity, such as moving large objects or walking long distances, costs 1 or more STA. This is reflected in the Stamina cost of Tasks.
  • Taking an additional action during combat and dialogue costs 1 STA.
  • The Bleeding status condition directly depletes STA.
  • For most spellcasters, the Cost of casting a spell can be fulfilled by spending STA.

Most often, Stamina is restored with food and water. When a creature consumes a number of rations equal to its Size (in food, water, or a combination of both), it regains 1 Stamina. Stamina can also be temporarily regained with the Breather action during combat.

At 0 or less STA, you become Tired, a status condition that inflicts a -2 penalty to your tests and halves your Speeds.

Willpower and Beliefs

Willpower, abbreviated to WLP, is a resource that represents one's mental energy and drive to succeed. For player characters, it is equal to 6 + ranks in Resolve + any modifiers from Professions. It is expended in social situations and when pouring yourself into actions, such as the following:

  • You can expend WLP 1-for-1 to add a bonus to active tests.
  • Player characters can use an active specialty they don't have but meet the prerequisites for by spending WLP equal to the specialty's XP cost.
  • Changes to your Beliefs can be counteracted 1-for-1 by spending WLP.
  • Many hostile social actions, the Overwhelmed status condition, and some other effects directly deplete WLP.
  • For most spellcasters, the Cost of casting a spell can be fulfilled by spending WLP.

Most often, Willpower is restored with rest. For every Maintenance Task a character takes, they restore 6 WLP. At the group's discretion, spending 10 Passes (about an hour) resting, relaxing, or otherwise taking it easy restores 1 WLP. Willpower can also be temporarily regained with the Breather action in combat.

At 0 or less WLP, you become Frazzled, a status condition that prevents you from gaining Momentum or casting spells.

Beliefs

Beliefs describe a character's motivations, ideology, and view of the world. They are statements or descriptions, such as "I am sworn to destroy undead" or "Respects law enforcement". Beliefs have a Strength describing how important or central they are to a character, typically from 1-6.

A Belief of 1-2 is often held purely from social obligation. A greedy barrister with the Belief "Stealing is wrong" will quickly fold when the going's good. At 3-4, a Belief is usually sincere but not totally central to the character or beyond being ignored in favor of stronger Beliefs. A burglar with the Belief "Only what benefits me" may renege when faced with a starving orphan, especially if he also Believes "Everyone deserves a fair shake". At 5-6, a Belief is vital to a character's identity and personality. A crusader who Believes "I must defeat evildoers" will be incredibly hard for a demon to sway, even if he also "Loves gold and wine". When two Beliefs are at odds, the stronger one will typically take precedence, but this may change depending on the situation.

Beliefs can be declared at any time so long as it fits the fiction and the character; a player may not realize how strongly their wizard feels about forbidden knowledge until faced with it. Strengths should be assigned similarly, as what makes sense.

Finally, a Belief can be "invoked" when spending Willpower to boost a test or temporarily use an active specialty relevant to or otherwise in pursuit of the Belief. For boosting a test, this increases the bonus to equal half the Belief's Strength (rounded down) per Willpower spent, and for specialties the cost is decreased by the Belief's Strength. After being invoked, a Belief cannot be invoked again until the character has Slept.

Death Rating and Wounds

Death Rating is representative of a creature's physical integrity and ability to take wounds and keep going. It is divided into quarters to create a character's Health Track, which determines at what points a character is incapacitated and killed. Death Rating is based on a creature's Kind.

Wounds

When someone hits you, really hits you, they might create a wound on your body, with a Severity based on their weapon and how hard they hit, which is how bad the wound is. In addition to its Severity, a wound has one or more descriptors, a damage effect, and a location it affects.

In addition to specific effects caused by a combination of its damage effect and Severity, all wounds contribute to your total Severity, which is measured against your Health Track to determine your current state. The possible states, in order, are Unharmed, Scratched, Injured, Mauled, Incapacitated, and Dead. When your total Severity reaches your Death Rating, you're Dead. These states have their own effects on you and on tests to heal you, which can be found in more detail in Wounds and Healing.

Speed, Size, and Weight

Speed

Speeds measure how far a character can move in a given fashion with one action in combat. A character's Speeds are mostly determined by their Kind; most Kinds have a Stride, Swim, and Clamber Speed (for walking, swimming, and climbing, respectively). Other common Speeds include Soar (for flying), Dig (for burrowing), and Drive (for wheeled vehicles). Typically, Speeds other than Drive, Soar, and Stride require use of your hands.

Size

Size abstractifies how big a creature is, based on their Kind. It is typically very roughly equal to the creature's longest dimension in meters, but this will vary. A creature's natural reach is equal to half their Size, rounded down. Size 1 creatures have a minimum natural reach of 1m, and Size 0 and smaller creatures have a minimum reach of <1m, meaning they need to share a space with a creature for them to be within reach. A creature's space on a 1m grid is equal to their natural reach on each side.

Most items are Size 0 or Size 0.5, if needed. A creature has a carried ENC of twice its Size (minimum 0.5), and twice that stowed, if it can be stowed at all.

Weight

Weight, abbreviated to WT, abstractifies how heavy a creature is, based on their Kind.

  • WT 0: Lighter than air. Balloons, gases, and ghosts are this heavy.
  • WT 1: Barely heavier than air; Most insects and other very small creatures are this heavy.
  • WT 2: In the 1-10 lbs. range; Many rodents and small creatures are about this heavy.
  • WT 3: In the 20-50 lbs. range; Small children and heavy boxes are about this heavy.
  • WT 4: In the 50-100 lbs. range; Older children and little folk are usually this heavy.
  • WT 5: In the 100-150 lbs. range; Smaller humans and elves are usually this heavy.
  • WT 6: In the 150-250 lbs. range; Most humans and similarly sized creatures are this heavy.
  • WT 7: In the 250-350 lbs. range.
  • WT 8: In the 350-500 lbs. range.
  • WT 9: In the 500-750 lbs. range.
  • WT 10: In the 750-1,000 lbs. range.
  • WT 11+: About 500 lbs. more for every WT above 10.

Kit and Equipment

A character's collection of standard equipment and room for extra gear is represented by their Kit. For player characters, it is equal to 6 + the character's highest Craft skill + any modifiers from Professions. Some features and effects refer to a character's Kit bonus, which is their Kit - 6. Carrying and equipping items takes up space in a character's Kit, represented by their Encumbrance, or ENC. A character with more ENC than their Kit has the Burdened status condition with a value equal to the amount of full points of ENC above their Kit.