Page 49 - World of Darkness

with successes achieved added to your character’s Strength shouts as Josh ventured further into their territory. Panick-
score to determine what kind of task he can accomplish ing, Josh jumped up the chain-link fence next to him. It was
in that action. In a group effort to move something really the closest escape route. He wished he hadn’t when he got to
heavy, a Strength + Stamina roll is made for each sup- the barbwire at the top, but forced himself upward and over.
porting participant. Successes rolled are added to a pri- He didn’t quite make it, and the rusted steel tore through his
mary actor’s roll as bonus dice. (See “Teamwork,” p. 134, pants and into his leg.
for full rules on cooperating this way.) Quickness. Response time. A delicate touch. Dexter-
If your character’s modified Strength total exceeds ity indicates how quickly and with how much finesse your
that required to lift an object, it can be relocated as de- character responds to his physical world. While high Wits
sired. If his Strength total matches that required to lift an dots helps your character spot trouble, high Dexterity dots
object, it can be moved about a yard. help him react to it, whether with a counteraction or to
The chart indicates how much a character can lift, simply get the hell out of the way. Dexterity also helps
but that amount represents a focused, one-time act. That with hand-eye coordination, be it to fire an accurate shot,
weight isn’t what he can walk around holding and wear- to juggle objects or to perform delicate jobs such as handle
ing, day to day. Your character can realistically carry/tote explosives. Your character might be sluggish, clumsy, slight,
25 pounds per dot of Strength without penalty. If he at- quick or nimble. Dexterity is invaluable to criminals, sports
tempts to carry more, every action involving physical ex- stars, surgeons and dancers.
ertion incurs an automatic -1 penalty for every 25 pounds Dexterity, along with Strength, is a factor in deter-
of excess gear that he has. Furthermore, every 25 pounds mining your character’s Speed. (See p. 95.) Dexterity is
he piles on beyond what he can carry reduces his Speed also combined with Composure to determine your
by one. Perhaps he can actually lift everything he’s wear- character’s Initiative in a fight. (See p. 151.)
ing and holding, but he can’t go anywhere with it. The
Storyteller makes the final call on what your character Defense
may realistically carry.
Roll Results Derived Traits: Dexterity or Wits
Dramatic Failure: The item is dropped and/or a level Action: Reflexive
of bashing damage is incurred. The lowest of a character’s Dexterity or Wits is used
Failure: Nothing is added to Strength. to determine his Defense trait, which is subtracted from
Success: One or more is added to Strength. incoming Brawl, Weaponry and throwing attacks. See
Exceptional Success: Five or more is added to p. 152 for more information
Strength and the character looks really impressive while
performing his mighty feat. Stamina
Suggested Equipment: Convenient handholds +1,
lifting belt (+1) Becky thanked the pizza guy absently as she closed her
Possible Penalties: Slippery conditions (-1), lack of apartment door. His nose wrinkled in distaste, not because
handholds (-1), “It’s been a long day” (-1) she failed to tip him but because of the smell of her room,
because of her greasy hair and because of her clearly
Dexterity unwashed appearance.
Becky never noticed the silent insult. She hadn’t really
Josh had retraced his steps back to where he fell, to where noticed anything for weeks. In fact, eating had become
he saw that thing. He turned on the sidewalk, surveying his something that she had to remind herself to do. Now it was
neighborhood. It wasn’t the best place to live, but he couldn’t the book that consumed her. Even as she pushed aside
afford any better. The worst of it was the bums and homeless, scattered and wadded up papers to sit down, she kept her
but they left him alone if he gave them some change. nose in the book. It demanded every ounce of her attention.
Josh snapped out of his daydream and realized that he’d Translating and understanding it had become her obsession.
been staring glassy-eyed at the alley across the street. There It superceded sleep, food, even her thesis. At first, she hoped
was something about it. He shook his head to clear it and the book would be invaluable to her research. Now she pored
waited for a couple cars to pass. over it for its own sake. If she kept studying, kept interpret-
ing. She knew comprehension would come.
The alley lay between rundown tenements and ran past
an old parking lot. No one parked there anymore. Card- As the night wore on, Becky continued to work. The
board boxes and scattered blankets used by bums blocked the pizza box went unopened.
way. Josh almost turned back, not wanting to piss off the Sturdiness. Steadfastness. Sheer physical resilience.
street people, but then he remembered how angry he got back Stamina is a measure of how tough your character is. It
home. indicates how far she can push her body, and how much
He steeled himself and headed down the alley. Almost physical abuse she can endure. Your character might be
immediately, open hands reached out from what looked like sickly and frail, or hardy and unstoppable. Bouncers, brawl-
heaps of trash or discarded clothing as the homeless muttered ers, triathletes, survivalists, heavy lifters and workaholics
for money. After a moment, their pleas turned to angry thrive on Stamina.

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Chapter 2- ATTRIBUTES