Modifiers#
Modifiers, AKA Bonuses & Maluses, are things that a character has (or affects them) and give a modifier to their rolls or its Difficulty for certain actions.
They have 3 different ranks:
MINOR: ±1 |
MODERATE: ±3 |
MAJOR: ±5 |
Anything that gives you an advantage (a skill, an item, a special ability, a favorable circumstance) can be considered a Bonus, and adds its value to your roll result (or Difficulty if defending).
Anything that gives you a disadvantage (a transient negative effect or debuff, a wound, a detrimental circumstance) can be considered a Malus, and subtracts its value from your roll result (or Difficulty if defending).
Bonuses & Maluses have different keywords, depending on their type and rank:
Type / Rank |
Minor (±1) |
Moderate (±3) |
Major (±5) |
|---|---|---|---|
Skill |
Adept |
Expert |
Master |
Item Quality |
Mundane |
Masterwork |
Legendary |
Condition |
Mild |
Moderate |
Severe |
Skills are Bonuses that represent trained abilities, backgrounds or professions that a character has. Examples: Adept Swordsman (+1), Expert Orator (+3), Kung-Fu Master (+5), Melee Combat Expert (+3).
Items are Bonuses that represent any object or tool that can give an advantage for an action. These can be weapons, protective gear, specialized equipment, etc. Examples: Mundane Short Sword (+1), Masterwork Thieves' Tools (+3), Legendary Shield (+5), Mundane Grappling Hook (+1).
Conditions are Maluses that represent negative hindrances like physical wounds, mental limitations, status effects, etc. Examples: Mild laceration (-1), Moderate Embarrassment (-3), Severe Internal Bleeding (-5), Stunned (Mild, -1) 1A good rule of thumb is to limit the amount of Conditions a character can have to 1 of each type (Mild, Moderate, Severe) at any given time. If a character would gain a new Condition of a type they already have, they must take one of a higher tier. If they can’t, then they can only take Damage in the form of HP loss, or be taken out if that reaches 0..
Note
Apart from (or instead of) giving a ±modifier to related actions, Bonuses and Maluses can sometimes give or take narrative permission to do something that would be impossible/possible otherwise.
i.e.: you cannot chop down a tree if you don’t have an axe. Any attempt would automatically fail (no roll required). If you do have it, you have narrative permission to attempt chopping down the tree, and if the Item is a Mundane Axe (+1), you would also get a +1 modifier to your roll.