Characters are defined by their “Traits,” attributes and skills ranked by die types. A d6 is average, while higher die types reflect much greater ability.
Attributes are primarily passive or innate abilities used for resisting effects like fear or Force attacks. Skills are used to actively do things or affect others.
Exceptions occur, but these are the foundational differences between the two concepts.
Attributes don’t directly affect skill rolls. Savage Worlds treats learned knowledge and training as the most relevant and direct factors. A high attribute allows one to increase a skill faster and opens up options to Edges that greatly differentiate two characters with the same skill.
Every character starts with a d4 in each of five attributes:
Agility is a measure of a character’s nimbleness, dexterity, and general coordination.
Smarts measures raw intelligence, mental acuity, and how fast a heroine thinks on her feet. It’s used to resist certain types of mental and social attacks.
Spirit is self-confidence, backbone, and willpower. It’s used to resist social and Force attacks as well as fear.
Strength is physical power and fitness. It’s also used as the basis of a warrior’s damage in hand-to-hand combat, and to determine how much he can wear or carry.
Vigor represents an individual’s endurance, resistance to disease, poison, or toxins, and how much physical damage she can take before she can’t go on. It is most often used to resist Fatigue effects, and as the basis for the derived stat of Toughness.
Attributes are used to:
Determine how fast skills increase during Advancement.
Limit access to Edges.
Derive secondary statistics such as Toughness or melee damage.
Resist effects such as being grappled or counter spells, powers, or social attacks such as Taunt or Intimidation.
Heroes have 15 points to buy skills during character creation. A skill that’s below the linked attribute (noted in parentheses beside the skill name) is cheaper to increase than one that’s at or above it.
Core skills are marked in red, and start at d4 for player characters. Characters can attempt skills they don’t have but it’s more difficult.
Academics reflects knowledge of the liberal arts, social sciences, literature, history, archaeology, and similar fields.
Athletics combines an individual’s coordination with learned skills such as climbing, jumping, balancing, biking, wrestling, skiing, swimming, throwing, or catching. Characters who rely on physical power more than coordination can take the Brute Edge to link this skill to Strength instead of Agility.
Battle is an individual’s command of strategy and tactics. It can be used for general military knowledge and is critical when commanding troops in Mass Battles.
Characters with this skill can handle most any aquatic vehicle. They also know how to handle common tasks associated with their vessel such as tying knots, rigging sails, or following currents.
Characters roll Common Knowledge to know people, places, and things of their world, including etiquette, geography, culture, popular technology, contacts, and customs.
Driving allows a hero to control any powered ground vehicle. This includes landspeeders, speeder bikes, hover tanks, and the like. (Bikes and other self-powered transports use Athletics, beast-drawn transports use Riding.)
Driving rolls are typically only needed in dangerous or stressful conditions, such as Chases.
Electronics allows a hero to use complex or specialized devices such as the control panels on industrial machines or the sensor systems found on spaceships.
Common consumer or electronic devices don’t require Electronics— Common Knowledge suffices if a roll is required at all. This applies to video recorders, comms, etc.
Fixing any type of broken electronic device uses the Repair skill.
Fighting covers all hand-to-hand (melee) attacks, whether it’s with fists, axes, lightsabers, or teras kasi.
Force Lore reflects knowledge and experience with the Force most others don’t even believe exists. It can be used to decipher strange pictograms, recall information about Force powers, remember cures for Force-related maladies, or perform rituals.
Finding information in a library, news feeds, morgue, old tome, the holonet, etc., uses the Research skill. As noted there, however, if the investigator’s Force Lore skill is higher, she may use that instead.
Force Use is the skill used for the Force Sensitive Edge. It is either linked to Smarts or Spirit, depending on the Edge selected. It is used to activate Force Powers.
Gambling is common in the back rooms of criminal organizations, the barracks of most armies, or the flight decks of spaceships.
To simulate an hour of gambling without having to roll for every single toss of the dice or hand of cards, have everyone agree on the stakes, such as 10 credits. Everyone in the game then makes a Gambling roll. The lowest total pays the highest total the difference times the stake. The next lowest pays the second highest the difference times the stake, and so on. If there’s an odd man left in the middle, he breaks even.
Cheating: A character who cheats adds +2 to his roll. The GM may raise or lower this modifier depending on the particulars of the game or the method of cheating. If a cheater rolls a Critical Failure, however, he’s caught. The consequences depend on the circumstances and who noticed, but are usually unpleasant!
Hacking is the skill used to create programs and “hack” into secured systems. Use of this skill always requires a computer or interface of some sort.
Most tasks are a simple Hacking roll. The amount of time it takes is determined by the GM, from a single action to hours, days, or even months depending on the complexity of the project. Success means the attempt works as desired and a raise halves the time required. Failure usually just means the hacker must try again, while a Critical Failure may mean the system locks the user out, issues an alarm, or enacts another countermeasure of some sort.
Healing has multiple uses, from treating Wounds to diagnosing diseases and analyzing certain kinds of forensic evidence.
Forensics: Healing can also be used to analyze evidence that relates to anatomical trauma, including cause and time of death, angle of attack, and similar matters. Success provides basic information and a raise increases the details uncovered.
Intimidation is the art of frightening an opponent so that he backs down, reveals information, or flees.
Intimidation is an opposed roll resisted by the opponent’s Spirit. In combat, this is a Test. Out of combat, a successful roll means the foe backs down for the most part, reveals some information, or slinks away when the opportunity presents itself. A raise might mean he backs down for the remainder of the scene, spills all the beans, or runs away as fast as he can.
In or out of combat, a Critical Failure means the target is immune to this character’s Intimidation attempts for the remainder of this encounter!
Networking: Intimidation can also be used as a “macro” skill to simulate several hours of working the streets, cracking heads for favors or information.
Notice is a hero’s general awareness and alertness. It’s used to sense sights, sounds, tastes, and smells, spot clues, detect ambushes, spot hidden weapons on a foe, or tell if a rival is lying, frightened, happy, etc.
Success conveys basic information—the character hears movement in the forest, smells distant smoke, or senses someone isn’t being completely truthful.
A raise grants more detail, such as the direction of a sound or odor or what topic a person is avoiding or lying about.
A good entertainer can lift the spirits, rally a crowd to action, or simply earn a few bucks from the locals. Specifics depend on the situation, setting, and how well the character is known in the area.
Performance covers singing, acting, playing an instrument, or similar tasks that require an audience to appreciate.
Raising Funds: The amount of money a character can raise by performing is extremely subjective, but as a general rule a successful performance raises 20% of the Starting Funds with a success and 30% with a raise. The GM can multiply this amount by the performer’s Rank if she feels it’s appropriate. These numbers work for typical performers who might be known in a small establishment or area. Larger performances can greatly boost the performer’s fee, but also require more time, energy, and setup.
Deception: Performance can be used instead of Persuasion if the character is attempting to deceive, bluff, or disguise herself and the GM agrees it makes sense in the context of the situation.
Persuasion is the ability to convince others to do what you want through reason, cajoling, deception, rewards, or other friendly means. Persuasion isn’t mind control. It can change someone’s attitude but not their goals. A bandit may let you keep a sentimental piece of jewelry with a good Persuasion roll but still takes all your other goods.
When used to Support allies it’s an unopposed roll. If the target is resistant, it’s an opposed roll vs. the target’s Spirit. The GM should modify the roll as she sees fit based on roleplaying, any pertinent Edges or Hindrances that affect the conversation, and the circumstances.
Reaction Level: How much a person is willing to cooperate depends largely on their attitude toward whoever’s talking to them. The Game Master can decide how nonplayer characters feel based on the setting, or roll on the Reaction Table if she has no preconceived notions.
Success improves the target’s attitude one level and a raise improves it two. Further increases aren’t generally possible in the same encounter—it takes individuals a little time to adjust their biases.
Failure means the target won’t change his mind this scene or until the situation changes in some important way. A Critical Failure also reduces the target’s attitude two levels.
Only one roll should generally be allowed per interaction unless new information is revealed, a substantial reward is offered, etc.
Networking: Characters can also use Persuasion as a “macro skill,” simulating a few hours or an evening’s time hobnobbing and socializing to gain favors or information.
Piloting allows a character to maneuver jet packs or spaceships.
A being with the innate ability to fly (he has wings, for example) uses Athletics instead.
Repair is the ability to take apart and/or fix mechanical gadgets, vehicles, weapons, and simple electrical devices. It also covers the use of demolitions and explosives.
How long a Repair roll takes is up to the GM and the complexity of the task. Fixing a Wound on a landspeeder might take an hour. Success means the item is functional. A raise on the Repair roll halves the time required.
Tools: Characters suffer a minor penalty (-1 to -2) to their roll if they don’t have access to basic tools, or a major penalty (-3 to -4) if the device requires specialized equipment.
Electronics: Repair can be used to repair electronic devices, but is limited by the hero’s Electronics skill. Use whichever skill is lowest.
A character skilled in Research knows how to make good use of libraries, news feeds, morgues, the holonet, or other written sources of information.
The amount of time this takes is up to the GM and the situation. Finding something on the holonet or a specific passage in a book might be possible in a combat round. Looking through books in a library, searching the holonet for a complex topic, or digging up background information on an individual usually takes about an hour.
Success finds basic information and a raise provides more detail. Failure means the researcher doesn’t find what she’s looking for.
A Critical Failure might mean the researcher finds plausible but incorrect information, triggers the notice of some opposed entity or faction, reads something “Humanity Was Not Meant to Know” and suffers a mental illness of some sort (a Minor Phobia, Quirk, etc.), or she might even accidentally destroy the source. The GM is encouraged to be creative when such a mishap occurs, perhaps forcing the party to approach the situation in a different way.
Related Skills: If a character has a skill that relates directly to the subject he’s researching, he can use that instead of Research. An explorer with Force Lore d10 and Research d6, for example, rolls a d10 when investigating Force lore at a forgotten library.
Note: Research may only provide the clues, especially in a mystery-heavy game. Putting the clues together from the information gathered is up to the players.
Riding allows a hero to mount, control, and ride any beast or beast-drawn vehicle.
Those with this skill have studied various hard sciences such as biology, xenobiology, chemistry, geology, engineering, or any other “hard” science.
A successful Science roll reveals basic information about a topic, and a raise grants more details.
Shooting covers all attempts to hit a target with a ranged weapon such as a bow, blaster, or rocket launcher (thrown weapons use Athletics).
Stealth is the ability to hide and move quietly. A simple success on a Stealth roll means the character avoids detection if enemies aren’t particularly alert. If the character fails the roll, the enemy realizes something is amiss and begins actively searching for whatever roused them.
Once foes are alerted and active, Stealth is opposed by Notice (a group roll if there are many foes).
The GM should apply any circumstantial penalties to Notice rolls for darkness, cover, noise, distractions, and any difference in the target’s Scale (just like when attacking). Sneaking through dry leaves might subtract 2 from the Stealth roll, for example, while spotting someone in the dark uses the Illumination penalty (-4). Don’t apply the same modifier to both rolls, however. If Stealth is at -2 for the leaves, don’t give Notice a +2 for them as well.
Sneak Attack: Sneaking up close enough to make a melee attack always requires an opposed Stealth roll versus the target’s Notice, whether the guard is actively looking for trouble or not. If successful, the victim is Vulnerable to the attacker, but only until the attacker’s turn ends. With a raise, the attacker has The Drop instead.
Movement: In combat, characters roll Stealth each turn as a free action at the end of their move or any action the GM thinks might draw attention.
Out of combat, the distance moved depends entirely on the situation. The GM might want a roll every minute if the group is sneaking around the perimeter of a defensive position, or every few miles if they’re trying to quietly walk the path through a dark forest without alerting the creatures that live there.
Survival allows a character to find food, water, or shelter in hostile environments. It can also be used to navigate wilderness environments, figure out which plants are good to eat and which aren’t, and so on.
A successful Survival roll provides enough food and water for one person for one day; or five people with a raise.
Tracking: Survival can also be used to detect and follow tracks. Each roll generally covers following the tracks for one mile, but the GM should adjust this as needed for specific circumstances.
The Game Master should assign a bonus or penalty based on the target, environment, and time. Tracking a large group that recently passed through a snow-covered area might grant a bonus of +4, while following a single person over rocks and streams after more than a day incurs a -4 penalty.
Taunt attacks a person’s pride through ridicule, cruel jests, or one-upmanship.
Taunt is an opposed roll resisted by the opponent’s Smarts. In combat, this is a Test.
Out of combat, success means the defender backs down, slinks away, or starts a fight. A raise might leave the victim cowed for the remainder of the scene, or make her storm out of the area fuming or even in tears, or attack her tormentor recklessly (perhaps with a Wild Attack on the first round of combat).
A Critical Failure means the target is immune to this character’s Taunts for the remainder of the encounter.
Lockpicking, safecracking, picking pockets, sleight of hand, setting and disabling traps and similar acts of misdirection, sabotage, subterfuge, and manipulation are called Thievery.
If used to pick a lock, crack a safe, disable a trap, or perform a simple unopposed action, success opens or disables the device, and a raise does it in less time, without tripping alarms, or whatever else the GM feels is appropriate.
Sleight of hand, hiding or planting an item, or picking a pocket require a simple success. If foes are actively watching the character, Thievery is opposed by Notice.
The Game Master should assign penalties for particularly difficult circumstances. Picking a heavy padlock might have a -4 penalty, while hiding a blaster in bulky winter clothing might grant a +1 bonus. Failure typically means the character is spotted or it takes too much time (after which the character can try again). A Critical Failure typically sets off the trap, alerts the victim, or jams the device so that it must be opened or interacted with in a different way.
Limited: Using Thievery on an electronic device, such as a keypad, is limited by the thief’s Electronics skill. Use the lowest of the two skills.
Your species determines the languages that you know. You may also purchase more languages at character creation or by Advancement. During character creation, you may spend points for purchasing skills to buy languages instead.
You may purchase one language for one skill point or one Advance. However, if the number of languages you currently know (before the purchase) is less than your Smarts die, you may learn two languages instead.