Skies of Arcana System Mechanics
Costs
Most stats are bought on a sliding cost scale. The base cost to do so is as per the table below.
Level 1 - 1 CP - Hobbyist
Level 2 - 3 CP - Amateur
Level 3 - 6 CP - Professional
Level 4 - 10 CP - Skilled Professional
Level 5 - 15 CP - Experienced Professional
Level 6 - 21 CP - Expert
Level 7 - 28 CP - Master
Level 8 - 36 CP - Ancient Master
Level 9 - 45 CP - Superlative
Level 10 - 55 CP - Unmatched
In short, the base cost to improve a stat costs (current level + 1). Depending on the stat being bought, this may be multiplied as follows.
Attributes have a x5 multiplier.
Specializations have a multiplier of (2 + 1 for every additional specialization in the same attribute)
Skills have a variable multiplier. See the specific skill.
Attributes & Specializations
These are the defining 'hard' characteristics of your character. Attributes are basic dice pools, whereas Specializations are added in specific situations.
Physique
This is the raw physical prowess of your character while she is on her own two feet, governing everything from strength, agility, endurance, athleticism and general toughness.
Available specializations for Physical are:
- Dextrous
- Big
- Fit
Smarts
Your innate intelligence, as well as your ability to notice things and act on your feet.
Available specializations for Smarts are:
- Quick-Witted
- Intelligent
- Perceptive
Charisma
Charisma measures the likeability of your character in several ways. Although few player characters are anything but superior in physical attractiveness, those with high Charisma do tend to be the coolest or hottest, and they do tend to sell more figurines.
Available specializations for Charisma are:
- Attractive
- Manipulative
- Friendly
Magic
Your fundamental ability to control magic. This attribute provides both a dice pool and mana points.
Available specializations for Magic are:
- TBD (role-specific)
Skills
Skills are things your character has learned how to do. Swordsmanship, spellcasting, accounting, monster ranching, all are skills. Skills are broken into various groups, depending on what attribute or specialization they are controlled by. Unless otherwise noted, a skill may not be higher than its controlling attribute + specialization.
Somatic
This includes things like swordsmanship, fistfighting, track and field training and null-gravity movement.
- List TBD
Academic
This is intellectual skills, ranging from mundanities like shipbuilding or accounting and languages to exotica such as magical theory and ancient history.
- List TBD
Social
How to make friends, exude good impressions and sleep with that hot elven princess.
- List TBD
Arcane
Controlling the fundamental forces of the universe requires more than just innate ability to manipulate mana, it also requires training. Like Specialties, Arcane skills have a multiplier of (2 + 1 for every additional Arcane skill).
Available Arcane Skills are:
- Ether Skill
- Force Skill
- Life Skill
- Matter Skill
- Void Skill
Resolution Rules
Fundamentals
Dice pools are in D10s, and for every roll being made, they are Specialization + Skill. In all cases, add the core Attribute to the Specialization.
Thus, a sword would be Dexterity + Melee, so in practice it would be Physique + Dexterity + Melee skill.
For most tasks the target number will be 6 to score a success, but some things may increase or decrease this.
Scaling
Some things are simply much larger and more powerful than normal humans and as such they are take advantage of 'scaling.' Scaling is a multiplier to successes gained, so a powerful mana beam with x4 scaling would get the equivalent of 4 successes for everyone 1 rolled if it struck a normal human.
Scaling is most common for vehicles (warstriders, skyships, etc) and monsters (dragons, etc).
Scaling can also work inversely. A lumbering ten-meter warstrider would find it very difficult to strike a human with its sword, and might have x0.5 scaling; it would need two successes to score one against a human. Of course, if it hit it would certainly leave nothing alive.