Attributes, Skills, and Core Resolution

The Nine Attributes: Your Character's Foundation

Attributes in Wrath & Glory are like the core stats in a video game - they represent your character's raw potential in different areas. Think of them as the engine specifications of a car: you can upgrade and tune them, but they determine your baseline performance.

Physical Attributes: The Body's Capabilities

Strength: The Power Within

Strength isn't just about lifting weights - it's about raw physical power applied in countless ways. In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, strength can mean the difference between prying open a blast door and being trapped with approaching Tyranids.

Strength 1: Frail scholar or tech-adept (can barely lift a lasgun)
Strength 2: Average human civilian (standard lifting capacity)
Strength 3: Trained soldier or laborer (can handle heavy equipment)
Strength 4: Elite warrior or athlete (impressively strong)
Strength 5: Space Marine Scout or augmented human (superhuman)
Strength 6+: Full Space Marine or heavily augmented (legendary)

Toughness: Endurance and Resilience

Toughness is like your character's internal armor - it determines how much punishment they can absorb before falling. Think of it as the difference between a lightweight boxer and a heavyweight: it's not just size, it's the ability to keep fighting after taking hits.

Agility: Grace Under Fire

Agility combines speed, coordination, and reflexes. It's the difference between dodging a grenade blast and becoming a crater. In 40k, agility often determines who shoots first and who dies last.

Mental Attributes: The Power of the Mind

Intelligence: The Weapon of Logic

In a universe where ignorance is bliss and knowledge can damn your soul, Intelligence is a double-edged sword. It's not just about being smart - it's about processing information, solving problems, and understanding complex systems.

Willpower: The Fortress of the Mind

Willpower is your character's mental armor against the horrors of the 41st millennium. In a universe where daemons whisper in your ear and Chaos tries to corrupt your soul, Willpower literally keeps you human.

Initiative: The Speed of Thought

Initiative determines how quickly your character reacts to changing situations. It's the difference between drawing your bolt pistol when trouble starts and drawing it when trouble ends (usually with your death).

Combat Attributes: The Art of War

Weapon Skill: The Dance of Blades

Weapon Skill represents your character's ability with melee weapons - from combat knives to power swords to chainswords. In the 41st millennium, even with advanced ranged weapons, close combat is often inevitable.

Ballistic Skill: Precision Under Pressure

Ballistic Skill governs all ranged combat, from laspistols to heavy bolters to orbital bombardment coordinates. In a universe where "there is only war," your ability to hit what you're aiming at often determines survival.

Point Blank (within 2 meters): +2 bonus dice
Close Range (within Weapon Range): No modifier  
Long Range (up to 2x Weapon Range): +1 Difficulty Number
Extreme Range (up to 3x Weapon Range): +2 Difficulty Number
Beyond Extreme Range: Impossible shot

Additional Modifiers:
- Moving target: +1 DN
- Small target: +1 DN  
- Cover (partial): +1 DN
- Cover (heavy): +2 DN
- Darkness: +1-3 DN
- Multiple targets: +1 DN per additional target

The Skill System: Specialized Training

Skills represent your character's training and experience in specific areas. Think of them as the difference between knowing how to drive a car (having the Agility to steer) and being a race car driver (having the Pilot skill to handle extreme maneuvers).

How Skills Work: The Attribute + Skill Formula

Every test in Wrath & Glory follows the same basic formula: Attribute + Skill = Dice Pool. It's like combining your natural talent with your learned expertise.

Skill Categories and Applications

The Core Resolution System: Rolling for Success

The heart of Wrath & Glory is elegantly simple: roll dice, count successes, compare to difficulty. It's like playing poker, but instead of making hands, you're counting how many dice show your target number or higher.

The Basic Mechanics

1. Determine Dice Pool: Attribute + Skill + Modifiers
2. Set Difficulty Number (DN): Usually 3, but can be higher
3. Roll all dice simultaneously
4. Count successes: Each die showing DN or higher
5. Compare to required successes for the task
6. Handle Wrath Die: The special red die can explode on 6s
7. Check for Complications: 1s might cause problems

Difficulty Numbers: The Challenge Scale

Required Successes: How Much is Enough?

Simple Tasks: 1 success needed
- Opening an unlocked door
- Recognizing a common Imperial symbol
- Basic first aid on a minor wound

Moderate Tasks: 2-3 successes needed  
- Picking a lock
- Persuading a reasonable person
- Treating a serious injury

Complex Tasks: 4-5 successes needed
- Hacking a secured system
- Performing surgery  
- Convincing someone to betray their beliefs

Legendary Tasks: 6+ successes needed
- Defusing a Chaos bomb
- Negotiating with a daemon
- Performing a miracle of faith

The Wrath Die: When Fate Intervenes

The Wrath Die is what makes Wrath & Glory special - it's a physical red die that represents the unpredictable nature of the 41st millennium. Think of it as the universe's way of saying "things just got interesting."

Wrath Die Mechanics

Modifiers: The Devil in the Details

Modifiers in Wrath & Glory come in two flavors: Bonus Dice (more chances to succeed) and Difficulty Number increases (harder to succeed). It's like the difference between getting more lottery tickets versus the lottery requiring more matching numbers.

Common Bonus Dice Sources

• Keyword Applies: +1 die when your keyword is relevant
• Good Equipment: +1-2 dice for superior gear
• Advantageous Position: +1-2 dice for tactical advantage
• Assistance: +1 die per character helping (max +3)
• Extra Time: +1-2 dice for careful preparation

Common Difficulty Increases

• Poor Conditions: +1 DN for darkness, noise, weather
• Time Pressure: +1 DN for rushing
• Inferior Equipment: +1 DN for broken or improvised tools
• Opposition: +1-2 DN for active resistance
• Complexity: +1-2 DN for intricate tasks

Extended Tests: Long-Term Challenges

Some tasks can't be resolved with a single roll - they require sustained effort over time. Extended Tests are like building a house: you don't just roll once and suddenly have a complete structure; you accumulate progress toward a goal.

Extended Test Mechanics

1. GM sets Success Threshold: Total successes needed (usually 10-20)
2. GM sets Time Interval: How long each test represents
3. Players make repeated tests, accumulating successes
4. Each test represents meaningful progress and potential setbacks
5. Complications can add obstacles or time pressure
6. Task completes when threshold is reached

Opposed Tests: When Characters Clash

Sometimes you're not just fighting the environment or a static challenge - you're competing directly against another character. Opposed Tests are like arm wrestling: both sides roll, and the winner takes all.

Opposed Test Process

1. Both sides roll their relevant Attribute + Skill
2. Count successes for each side
3. Higher success total wins
4. Ties go to the defender (if applicable) or require rerolls
5. Margin of victory determines the degree of success

Practical Applications: Building Effective Characters

The Specialist vs Generalist Debate

In Wrath & Glory, you face a classic RPG dilemma: should you create a character who excels at one thing or who's decent at many things? Both approaches have merit in the 41st millennium.

Attribute Priorities by Role

Practice Activities

Activity 1: Dice Pool Calculation Drills

Practice calculating dice pools for these scenarios:

Activity 2: Wrath Die Interpretation

For each scenario, describe both a Glory (6) and Complication (1) result:

1. Performing emergency surgery on a wounded comrade
2. Negotiating with a suspicious merchant
3. Sneaking through a heretic camp
4. Driving a vehicle through dangerous terrain
5. Researching forbidden lore in ancient texts

Activity 3: Extended Test Design

Design an Extended Test for each scenario:

• Repairing a damaged spacecraft before air runs out
• Convincing a hive city to evacuate before Tyranid arrival
• Tracking a Chaos cult through an underhive
• Fortifying a position before an Ork assault

Include: Success threshold, time interval, relevant tests, and potential complications

Activity 4: Character Optimization Challenge

Create two versions of the same character concept (e.g., "Imperial Guard Veteran"):

• Version A: Optimized for reliability (higher attributes)
• Version B: Optimized for versatility (broader skills)

Compare their effectiveness in different scenarios.

Activity 5: Modifier Stacking Practice

Calculate the final dice pool and DN for this complex scenario:

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The "Dice Pool Inflation" Trap

New players often try to add every possible modifier to their rolls. Remember: not every advantage grants bonus dice, and not every difficulty increases the DN.

The "Analysis Paralysis" Problem

Don't overthink every roll. The system is designed to be fast and intuitive. When in doubt, use DN 3 and keep the game moving.

The "Single Attribute" Mistake

Focusing all your advancement on one attribute creates a character with glaring weaknesses. A well-rounded approach usually works better.

The "Wrath Die Confusion"

Remember: the Wrath Die is part of your dice pool, not an additional die. It follows all the same rules as other dice, plus the special Glory/Complication effects.

Key Takeaways

The beauty of Wrath & Glory's system lies in its scalability - the same basic mechanics work whether you're picking a lock or commanding an orbital bombardment. Master these fundamentals, and you'll be ready to tackle any challenge the 41st millennium throws at you.