Core Attributes (Stats)

Strength is the most intuitively understood attribute, and also the easiest to misuse.

In TDGS, Strength represents raw physical force. It answers a single question: "How much force can this entity meaningfully exert against resistance?"

Strength is not technique. It is not coordination. It is not endurance. It is the ability to apply force, abstracted from leverage, biomechanics, and cleverness.

Nyxara TidelightD12

"I once brewed a potion that temporarily gave someone STR 15. They could lift a wagon. They could not, however, figure out which end to grab. The wagon won. Don't confuse capability with competence."

Meet Nyxara Tidelight →

Representation and Scale

Strength uses a shared absolute scale from 0 to 100.

• STR 0 means no meaningful force can be applied.
• STR 10 represents the strongest human, as in world record holder level.
• STR 100 represents planetary-scale force.

This scale is intentionally non-linear. Human-scale play lives near the bottom, while mythic and cosmic play occupies the upper extremes without compressing the lower range.

Meaningful Force Threshold

Some entities are simply too small to meaningfully register on the Strength scale. Insects, microbes, and particulate entities are treated as STR 0 individually.

This does not make them irrelevant. They matter through swarms, counts, traits, and narrative effects. Strength measures individual force, not collective danger.

Strength Band Anchors

Strength determines Carrying Capacity using a simple formula:

Weight Units (WU) are abstract. Content defines the scale (1 WU = 1 pound, 0.5 kg, or setting-specific).

See Document 15: Equipment & Slots for full equipment and carrying rules.

What Strength Does Not Do

• Guarantee success
• Define damage on its own
• Override narrative consequence
• Replace decision making

Dexterity represents precision and coordination, not speed or reliability.

DEX answers the question: "What degree of precise control is possible if everything goes right?"

A high Dexterity character can thread needles, disarm traps, and perform delicate actions. Whether they succeed consistently depends on training, circumstance, and chance.

Scale Philosophy

DEX uses the same 0 - 100 scale but behaves linearly. Improvements at high levels represent refinement, not transformation.

Dexterity Lookup Table

What Dexterity Does Not Do

DEX does not determine speed, reaction time, or success on its own.

Reflex represents reaction time.

It answers: "How quickly does this entity notice something and begin to act?"

"Some fools think Reflex means I'm fast. I am fast. But REF is something else entirely. It's the moment I notice destiny arriving, and destiny notices me noticing. We have an arrangement."

Scale

REF uses the shared 0 – 100 scale with diminishing returns. Early improvements matter enormously. Later improvements compress toward theoretical limits.

Reflex Lookup Table

Constitution represents endurance and pain tolerance.

CON answers: "How much stress, injury, and pain can be endured before failure?"

This includes the ability to function while injured. It does not include healing or damage reduction.

Scale

CON uses a 0 –100 scale. Higher values represent survivability, not invulnerability.

Constitution Lookup Table

Movement represents speed.

MOV answers: "How fast can this entity move through space under its own power?"

It does not measure reaction time, precision, or stamina.

Movement Lookup Table

MOV determines how many squares an entity can move per Move action.

See Document 14: Movement & Positioning for movement rules, terrain, and positioning.

Intelligence represents reasoning, abstraction, and learning.

INT answers: "How complex a problem can this entity understand?"

It does not answer whether the entity makes good decisions.

Tetrahex the ObscureD4

"Intelligence is knowing that stepping on me will hurt. Wisdom is watching where you walk. Most adventurers have one. Few have both. The floor remembers."

Meet Tetrahex the Obscure →

Intelligence Lookup Table

Wisdom represents judgment and consequence awareness.

WIS answers: "Is this a good idea?"

A wise character may be slow. A foolish character may be brilliant.

Wisdom Lookup Table

Charisma represents presence and influence.

CHA is not beauty. It is the ability to shape social outcomes through force of personality.

Charisma Lookup Table

Luck represents an abnormal relationship with probability.

Luck is permanent. Luck is rare. Luck is powerful.

It modifies probability through dice interaction, not narrative fiat.

Flippity CentD2

"Most stats are polite. They stay positive, play nice, pretend everything's fair. LUCK? LUCK goes negative because LUCK doesn't lie. I've seen both sides. I've been both sides. Heads, you're blessed. Tails, the universe owes you nothing and remembers that you asked."

Meet Flippity Cent →

Representation

Range: −10 to +10. This is the only attribute allowing negative values.

Luck Effects

• Adds modifiers
• Adds or subtracts dice
• Influences rerolls
• Affects success or failure
• Never affects magnitude

Luck Lookup Table