Games - Storyteller System

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	Games - Storyteller System

The Storyteller System (now called The Storytelling System), is the basic set of game mechanics in the role-playing games published by White Wolf Game Studio. Games using this set of rules include the World of Darkness product line, Exalted, the Trinity line, and Street Fighter: The Role-Playing Game.

The rules detailed below are for the new Storytelling System which is the revised and more streamlined set of rules used in White Wolf's release of the revised Vampire: The Requiem
(released in August 2004 alongside the corebook), Werewolf: The Forsaken
(released March 14, 2005), Mage: The Awakening
(released August 29, 2005).

Making Characters

Storyteller System characters are built with points that represent a Dot on their character sheets. Each Dot represents a ten-sided (d10) die. The more Dots in an Attribute or Skill the better they are at those abilities. An amount of dice forms a Die Pool that the character uses to see if he/she succeeds or fails at specific tasks.

Attributes

Storyteller characters have nine Attribute
s (or Traits) in three Groups; Mental, Physical, and Social. Each Attribute has a certain Use Category, either under Power (the ability to alter one's environment), Finesse (the ability to use power efficiently), or Resistance (the ability to cope with power being excercised upon ones self). Attributes are as follows :

Power Category:

: Intelligence (Mental Group) – how mentally resourceful they are. : Strength (Physical Group) – how physically forceful they can be. : Presence (Social Group) – how socially influential they can be.

Finesse Category:

: Wits (Mental Group) – how clever and insightful they are. : Dexterity (Physical Group) – how physically graceful they are. : Manipulation (Social Group) – how socially dominating they are.

Resistance Category:

: Resolve (Mental Group) – how mentally determined they are. : Stamina (Physical Group) – how physically enduring they are. : Composure (Social Group) – how socially dignified they are.

Each Attribute is measured with Dots (sometimes called Pips). Each Dot represents one ten-sided die the Attribute gets to its Dice Pool (see below). All Attributes begin with one Dot. Attributes can have up to 5 Dots, and the more Dots in an Attribute, the better the character's Attribute is. With one Dot, a character is "poor" in that Attribute and gets one die. With two Dots, they are "average" and get two dice. Three Dots, they are "good", and get three dice. Four Dots, they are "exceptional" and have four dice. Five Dots, they are "outstanding" and have five dice.

Starting characters get 12 Dots to add to their Attributes. The player must prioritize them in amongst the three Use Categories as 5/4/3; meaning, they assign 5 Dots to one Use Category, 4 Dots to another, and 3 Dots to the last one, as they choose. To fill in the 5th Dot in any Attribute costs two dots. The characters get the first Dot free, the 2nd to 4th Dots cost one Dot each, and the 5th Dot costs 2 Dots to fill in.

Skills

Storyteller characters have a wide array of Skills to choose from that represent specialized areas of knowledge. There are three Types of Skills; Mental, Physical, and Social, and they tie directly to the three Groups of Attributes. Like Attributes, each Skill has 5 Dots that represent how many dice a Skill gets. With one Dot, a character is a "novice" at the Skill. With two Dots, they are "practitioners". Three Dots, they are "professionals". Four Dots, they are "experts". Five Dots, they are "masters".

Characters get 22 Dots to "fill in" the Skill Dots, and like the Attributes, they must prioritize them in 11/7/4 between the three Attribute Groups. Like Attributes, the 5th Dot costs two Dots to fill in.

Some examples of Skills are as follows:

:Mental Skills: Academics, Computers, Crafts, Politics, Science

:Physical Skills: Athletics, Brawling, Driving, Firearms, Stealth

:Social Skills: Empathy, Intimidation, Persuasion, Streetwise, Subterfuge

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