Stat blocks and writing conventions

[RosenMcStern]

As we prepare to release several supplements with plenty of character statistics, I would like to introduce a new standard for stat blocks. The aim is to make character entries more concise and less prone to ambiguity.

As usual, any feedback is welcome.

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General info: Size Class and Move are listed below the character name, along with species, gender and other general information.

Characteristics: given on a line in the order STR, CON, DEX, INT, WIL, CHA.

Attributes: these are given under the characteristics, in order, Exertion (or Effort), Might, Readiness, Toughness. Optionally, the entry for Resolution Points in Basic Combat, labelled as Basic Combat, precedes these four.

Skill list: Each skill comes capitalized and followed by a list of traits in square brackets, and by its score including the +30% for the Trait(s). If the score follows the Skill name and not the bracketed list of Traits, for instance because the character has no Traits for that skill, then its value does not include the +30% for Traits.

Example: Agility [Climb, Dodge] 53%, Survival 24%. The Agility score includes the +30%, the Survival score does not. Writing Agility 23% [Climb, Dodge] would be the same, as putting the score before the brackets signals that the Trait bonus is not included, but is not recommended. Writing Agility 23% [Climb, Dodge] 53% is redundant, but corresponds to what you would write on a character sheet.

Trait list: all entries in the list in square brackets correspond to a Trait or Stunt which occupies a slot, unless its name is preceded by a bullet (·). A sub-list in round brackets may follow the Trait name. The sub-list may contain either a set of specific languages/specialties which occupy the same slot as the main Trait, or a set of stunts which usually occupy their own slots and are listed there only to signal that they depend on the main trait. When a list includes both entries which occupy a slot and entries which do not, the ones using up slots are preceded by a “+”.

Examples:

• Communication [Language (English, French, Chinese)] 60%. This means that the character speaks these three languages, which occupy only one slot.
• Ranged Combat [Bow (Fast Reload), Dagger] 55%. This means that the character knows how to fire a bow and throw a dagger, and that he can reload arrows at zero readiness cost. All three Traits/Stunts occupy a slot.
• Perception [Acute Vision, ·Hearing, Track] 60%. This means that the character has a better sight than normal, and this Trait occupies a slot, together with Track. Hearing, a natural ability for most creatures, does not occupy any slots.
• Close Combat [Karate (+Deflect, Kicking)] 50%. This means that the character knows the Karate Martial Arts and Kicking is the default Stunt learned with it, which does not occupy a further slot, while the Deflect Stunt has been learned separately and occupies a slot.

Marks that indicate whether a Trait occupies a slot are only useful for player characters, so they are usually omitted for NPCs.

Weapon list: when there is not a header line with column names, each entry is made up of

• the weapon name,
• the skill score,
• the Strike Readiness with that weapon preceded by the word “Ready”,
• the SR cost for Attacking/Defending preceded by “Att/Def”,
• the damage dice preceded by the word “Damage”,
• the Parry or Range value for close combat and ranged weapons respectively, preceded by the words “Parry” or “Range”,
• a list of effects and attributes, in lowercase.

When the header line is present, the words in double quotes are omitted.

Example:

• Scimitar 84%, Ready 23, Att/Def 5/3, Damage 1d6+1d2, Parry 3, impale (advantage), slash (auto)
• Medium Shield 84%, Ready 20, Att/Def 4/2, Damage 1d2+1d2, Parry 3, bash, coverage +1
• Nomad Bow 94%, Ready 43, Att/Def 5*/-, Damage 1d6+2d2, Range Medium, impale (effect)

Power list: each power system is one separate entry, with its limiting factors (Channelling, Holiness, etc.) in round brackets, preceding the list of actual powers.

Hit Locations: as these are optional, they will be included in a separate box.

 Here are the two Sengoku Jidai samples, reviewed for compatibility with this format.

Edited July 11, 2018 by RosenMcStern

[soltakss]

Do you have templates/examples of these? Maybe in Word, Google Docs or Open Office?

[RosenMcStern]

After several intense sessions of layout and graphics, we realised that the above convention about the skill score being "without Traits" when it precedes the Trait list, and with score when it follows it, could not work very well in practice. Therefore the skill score will from now on always go directly after the skill name, and refer to the value "with traits" if there is a Trait list. In other words, it will be the number you have to roll in the most common case.

So for instance for our cute sohei we would have 

Close Combat 53% [Kenjutsu, Yari], Concentration 54% [two spells], Perception 54% [Hearing, Vision], Survival 52% [Endurance].