2. Attribute Distribution
At the start of the Attribute Distribution stage, every player has attributes set to 8. From there, they may use the Point-Buy system to establish characters’ starting ability scores. Once your scores are solidified, PC’s will go through the process of Character Creation, where additional points will be added to your ability scores depending on what choices you make.
Starting Health:
All players start with 10 hit points (HP). As you level up, you roll hit-die that permanently increases your HP by the number rolled. The number of hit die you roll grows by 1 for every even level you reach. You start with 1d6 hit die at level 1 and grow to 2d6 at level 2, and then to 3d6 at level 4. This continues in this pattern; you grow in level in the World of Vala.
The equation to identifying your starting health is: HP = 10 + 1d6 + Constitution Modifier.
Starting Mana:
All players’ starting Mana pool depends on the following Equation:
The equation to identifying your Mana is: Your Level(Constitution Modifier + Intelligence Modifier + Wisdom Modifier).
Point Buy and Point Buy Table:
The point-buy method of generating ability scores allows for the most customization, enabling the player to tune their character to the stats they want. Another benefit of this method is that all player characters will be on an even playing field in terms of stat distribution.
Players are given 36 points to spend on their ability scores. The cost of each score is shown in the table below. Players start at an ability score of 8 for each attribute. Players may choose to utilize the points given to move their attribute up to the next subsequent number. Players cannot skip numbers and must follow the point buy table in numerical order. Players may also subtract from the starting Number of 8 and gain the point cost back to potentially use in other attributes.
Once your initial score is established, you may move towards the other components of Character Creation. Any unused points are not carried over after character creation.
World of Vala: Abilities and Skills
Like most role-playing games, the World of Vala relies on various rolls that the player must make to interact with the world. Ability scores are a character’s most basic stats, and they are the primary contributor to your character’s chances of success and failure on any task that requires a d20 roll. There are six ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each describes a specific aspect of your character’s capabilities, which are described in the sections below.
-
Attribute Description: Strength measures a character’s ability to exert physical force. A character with high Strength can lift heavier objects, carry more gear without being overloaded, break things with brute Strength, shove and grapple creatures more effectively, and is more accurate and more effective with melee weapons.
Strength Skills: Athletics and Resilience
Athletics. Athletics covers many physically strenuous activities, including climbing, jumping, and swimming. While you can typically perform these activities without making an ability check, the DM may call for an ability check when the circumstances make the activity difficult. For example: You don’t typically need a Strength (Athletics) check to climb stairs, but you might need one if climbing a sheer cliff. Similarly, you don’t need a Strength (Athletics) check to swim across a still, shallow pool, but you might need to make a check if you are attempting to swim across a rushing river. Athletics is also used for shoving and grappling.
Resilience. Resilience could help the character resist physical damage. If a character suffers fall damage, a Resilience roll could determine if that fall damage is lessened or increased from the baseline. It could even be used in combat. A player could roll a Resilience check to attempt to shrug off the effects of a critical hit; if they beat a DC 20, then they just take regular damage instead.
-
Attribute Description: Dexterity measures a character’s nimbleness, agility, and fine motor skills. A character with high Dexterity can avoid attacks in combat, evade area effects and explosions, move stealthily, perform feats of acrobatics, pick locks, and use ranged weapons like bows and guns more effectively.
Dexterity Skills: Acrobatics, Trickery, and Stealth.
Acrobatics. Acrobatics measures a character’s ability to perform impressive acts of nimbleness, typically requiring coordinating your entire body, such as staying upright on a slippery or icy surface, walking across a tight rope, or performing stunts like somersaults.
Trickery. Trickery covers manual trickery, such as picking pockets and planting objects on a person unnoticed.
Stealth. Stealth, as you might expect from the name, covers a character’s ability to hide themselves or objects, to move about unnoticed, and to be generally stealthy.
-
Attribute Description: Constitution describes a character’s physical and mental fortitude; their ability to endure pain, to take damage without falling unconscious, to resist the effects of poison, disease, and other physical maladies, to hold their breath, to travel long distances without rest, and to go without sleep for extended periods.
Constitution Skills: Endurance and Hardiness.
Endurance. Endurance measures effectiveness in longer-lasting activities that rely more on stamina than brute strength. Activities such as long-distance running, long-distance swimming, holding breath, maintaining strength without food and drink, resistance to exhaustion (e.g., doctors working long shifts or soldiers executing long operations without sleep) If a character has gone an extended period without a long rest, you could have them roll an Endurance check to see if they resist gaining a level of exhaustion a while longer.
Hardiness. With Hardiness a character might be able to withstand the effects of extreme environments. Players could roll a Hardiness check to resist the heat or cold. This could even be applied to combat, allowing the player to shrug off some fire or ice damage from a spell.
-
Attribute Description: Intelligence measures a character’s analytical ability, memory, and reasoning ability. A character with high Intelligence knows many facts and pieces of trivia, can estimate the value of items, and can communicate non-verbally. They are often good at puzzles, games of skill, researching, investigation, forgery, and communicating with nature.
Intelligence Skills: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Divinity, and Engineering.
Arcana. Arcana measures general arcana and academic knowledge of magic and how it works.
History. History measures your knowledge of the past: wars, both recent and ancient, lost kingdoms, ancient lore, and all manner of events that took place in the past.
Investigation. Investigation is used to search for clues and to make deductions based on those clues. Investigation can be used to search documents for information, to determine where someone has been based on the state of their clothing, or to perform other acts of deductive reasoning like identifying some types of illusions.
Nature. Nature measures knowledge of the natural world; plants, animals, geography, terrain, weather, and natural cycles like tides and seasons. One of the most important roles for a druid because the Nature rolls allow a Druid to communicate with the natural world around them.
Divinity. Religion measures knowledge of deities, rites, prayers, religious orders and their organizations and activities, holy symbols, and other topics related to religion. Divinity also serves Divine characters when they interact with aspects of their domain.
Engineering. Engineering lets you better assess the different combinations in which objects can be used in new and innovative ways. This skill could be used for figuring out mechanisms, developing tools, performing alchemy, or crafting.
-
Attribute Description: Wisdom measures a character’s practical knowledge, their cleverness, their perceptiveness, and how in tune they are with the world around them. Characters with high Wisdom are perceptive, observant, and sensible. They are able to inherently understand runes, and notice subtle details about creature’s motives and about the world around them.
Wisdom Skills: Runes, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival, and Culture.
Runes. Runes measure your ability to read and activate runes of various levels.
Insight. Insight is used to discern another creature’s feelings and motives and, most commonly, to discern when another creature is lying.
Medicine. Medicine covers both mundane and magical medical knowledge. Medicine can be used to stabilize a dying creature, to heal, and to diagnose illness.
Perception. Perception measures your awareness and your ability to perceive external stimuli. A character with high Perception is more likely to notice hidden items and creatures, more likely to hear whispered conversations, and more able to eavesdrop through doors.
Survival. Survival is used to follow tracks, find food in the wilderness, natural hazards, and generally survive without the comforts of civilization.
Culture. Culture measures your familiarity with a broad range of customs and proprieties in various societies. You can roll this check to know the proper etiquette in a social encounter, to understand the values of an intelligent creature’s culture, or to identify the likely origins of a weapon or work of art.
-
Attribute Description: Charisma measures a character’s charm and eloquence, force of personality, self-confidence, and ability to interact with other creatures. Characters with high Charisma are charming, well-liked, and are often natural leaders.
Charisma Skills: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion.
Deception. Deception measures your ability to mislead other creatures. At its simplest, you might use a Charisma (Deception) check to tell a lie, but you might also use Deception to confuse, distract, or otherwise mislead other creatures.
Intimidation. Intimidation measures your ability to coerce, cajole, or bully other creatures using overt threats, hostile actions, and physical violence. Intimidation is often used to scare off thugs, to coerce uncooperative prisoners into revealing information, or to force to someone to do something for you or to give you something which they otherwise wouldn’t.
Performance. Performance measures your ability to delight and entertain an audience by any number of means, whether by singing, dancing, acting, or playing an instrument. The precise nature of the performance isn’t specified by the skill, and is left up to the player and the LM to decide.
Persuasion. Persuasion measures your ability to peacefully and politely influence other creatures. This often involves good manners, tact, and observance of social graces. Persuasion is often used to negotiate or to defuse hostile situations peacefully.
