Attributes
Every fighter in Noctvale has different strengths. Some are quick across broken ground, some are deadly with a blade, some keep their nerve when the dead start walking. This variety is recorded as the fighter's attributes.
A fighter's profile lists nine attributes: Movement, Close Combat, Ranged Combat, Might, Skill, Defense, Will, Sanity, and Wounds. Higher values are better for every attribute.
Movement (M)
Movement is the distance a fighter can travel with a Move action. It is written in inches, such as 6".
Close Combat (CC)
Close Combat is used when a fighter attacks in melee. A higher Close Combat makes melee attacks more likely to hit.
Ranged Combat (RC)
Ranged Combat is used when a fighter attacks at range. A higher Ranged Combat makes ranged attacks more likely to hit.
Might (Mt)
Might measures strength, toughness, and raw physical force. It supplies Might dice to the Strike Pool and is used for rules that test brute power or endurance.
Skill (Sk)
Skill measures precision, reflexes, and trained technique. It supplies Skill dice to the Strike Pool and is used for rules that test finesse, agility, or control.
Defense (Df)
Defense is the single check attribute used for all dice in the defense pool. When rolling defense in Step 4 of the Attack Sequence, every die — whether a Might die or a Skill die — uses a Df check. Dice keep their color for blocking purposes; Df determines how many of them succeed.
Will (Wi)
Will measures resolve, discipline, and the ability to channel ordered supernatural power. Light, Arcane, and Nature spells use Will for their casting roll.
Sanity (Sa)
Sanity measures nerve, self-command, and resistance to horror. Infernal, Necromancy, and Blood spells use Sanity for their casting roll, and many fear effects call for a Sanity check.
Wounds (W)
Wounds measure how much punishment a fighter can take before they collapse. When a fighter is reduced to exactly 0 Wounds, they become Downed. When a fighter would be reduced below 0 Wounds, they become Stunned instead.
Attribute Checks
When a rule asks you to make an attribute check, it names the attribute being tested. A Might check uses Might, a Skill check uses Skill, and so on. Roll 1d6, add the fighter's corresponding attribute, then apply any modifiers. The check succeeds if the total is 8 or higher. A natural 1 always fails, and a natural 6 always succeeds.
In campaign play, no attribute can be raised above 6. If an attribute is reduced to 1, the fighter can no longer perform actions that require that attribute. They are maimed or broken — or they have gone mad.
Rerolls: A die can only be rerolled once. If more than one rule allows a reroll, select one; the second result stands.
Baseline Ancestry Profiles
Noctvale is full of fighters of every shape, size, and ancestry. Before the Fall, Valecoria came as close to a utopia as any kingdom had seen: its cities and towns gathered the diversity of many peoples living peaceably together. Use these profiles to represent fighters from different backgrounds and ancestries. Steady can describe Humans, Half-Elves, or other grounded folk; Keen fits Elves and other sharp, graceful lineages; Stout fits Dwarves, Orcs, or other powerful frames; Stunty fits Halflings, Goblins, Gnomes, or other short, quick folk. Your retinue is yours to build; select the profile that represents the fighter you put on the battlefield.
| Ancestry profile | M | CC | RC | Mt | Sk | Df | Wi | Sa | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 6" | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Keen | 7" | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Stout | 5" | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Stunty | 6" | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Attribute Modifiers
Bonuses and penalties to a fighter's attributes from feats, Traditions, spells, and equipment stack unless a rule says otherwise.
The total bonus or penalty to any single attribute (Movement, Close Combat, Ranged Combat, Might, Skill, Defense, Will, or Sanity) cannot exceed +3 or −3 at any time.
The penalties from Affliction tokens count toward this cap.
Strike Pool
The Strike Pool is the dice you roll to hit during the Attack Sequence. It combines Might dice and Skill dice.
Attack profiles list the Might dice and Skill dice they use. A number with a + adds to the attacker's matching attribute. A number without a + is fixed. For example, +1 Might / 4 Skill means the attacker's Might + 1 Might die, and exactly 4 Skill dice.
A Strike Pool cannot contain more than 15 dice after all weapon bonuses and other dice bonuses are applied. If a rule would raise the Strike Pool above 15 dice, the player rolling the Strike Pool chooses which Might dice or Skill dice to remove until 15 dice remain.
Use two distinct dice colors so you can tell the attributes apart. Before the first battle, agree which color represents Might dice and which represents Skill dice. Red for Might and blue for Skill is a common choice.