CS Guide: Character Sheet FAQ
Confusion over the Core Skills - and how they interact with various Force Powers - has been a common theme since the CS redesign several years ago. In order to further the goals of CS 2.0 and combat the misinformation that has developed regarding these skills, the following explanations and examples have been created.
Core Skills
Often referred to as “Core Skills”, the four skills that most directly relate to someone’s physical and mental attributes are the source of a great deal of confusion. Hopefully, the following explanations and examples can serve to clarify their use and their interaction with other Skills and Force Powers.
Might
Might is the most easily understood of the core attributes as it governs raw physical strength. It is important to keep in mind that Might has a close relationship with Stamina. A character can only maintain their peak physical strength so long as their Stamina allows. It is also important to pay close attention to how Might scales at higher levels. Absent modification from a Feat or Power such as Amplification or Let The Wookiee Win, a character will generally not have superhuman levels of strength. The same holds true for the relative power of an unmodified melee attack.
Athletics
Athletics is the relative speed, dexterity and coordination of a character when compared against another. While this is largely accurate, there are some very important distinctions in CS 2.0 to keep in mind. First, Athletics has a close relationship with Stamina. Athletics measures a character’s control of their own body to pull off feats of balance or movement. Stamina governs how long a character can maintain peak speed or agility.
Stamina
Stamina is commonly viewed as the relative toughness or resistance to injury of a character. In CS 2.0, however, Stamina is focused on physical stamina. A character with relatively high Might or Athletics will only be able to maintain the maximum use of those attributes relative to their level of Stamina. Stamina is also affected by the current circumstances. How long has a character been fighting? Did they just sprint 300 meters through the jungle to get to the fight? Are they well-rested prior to an arranged duel?
Resolve
The manner in which Resolve interacts with mental Powers such as Illusion and Mind Trick is often wrongly assumed to be a straight comparison with a clear winner and loser. Instead, there are a variety of ways that Resolve can interact with offensive Force Powers and none of them translate to a binary pass or fail check. For instance, a skill may work for a while but fade sooner than expected. It may take longer to work. It may have reduced effectiveness in terms of the desired "outcome" (e.g. someone isn't paralyzed in fear but merely shaken). The writer could choose to make the attack totally ineffective if they want, but it is not a requirement (and judges have docked realism for people writing their own powers too dismissively). Ultimately the situation and circumstance dictates the efficacy and overall effect of the ability.
Bringing it All Together
What does high X, low Y look like? Some combinations of these have relatively easy real-world analogues. Others do not.
High Athletics, Low Stamina
A character with high Athletics and low Stamina could dodge or traverse obstacles well, but wouldn’t be able to do so for very long before becoming fatigued.
High Athletics, Low Stamina& Might
A character with these attributes would be capable of jumping far, throwing accurately or otherwise performing skilled actions for short periods of time. Dancers and figure skaters would fit into this category.
High Athletics & Stamina, Low Might
Characters with high levels of Athletics and Stamina but low Might would make good track athletes, excelling in areas like hurdles and decathlons.
High Might, Low Athletics & Stamina
Possessing high Might with low Athletics and Stamina would lead to a very strong character that tires easily. Common examples might be a professional power-lifter or a lineman from American football.
High Stamina, Low Athletics and Might
Characters with a high rank in Stamina coupled with a low rank in Athletics and Might would make excellent cross-country runners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the deal with Handedness now?
How can I suggest changes / venues / species / feats?
Do I need to list "Droid" under Languages if I take the Droid Whisperer Feat?
How come certain Feats grant +1 to skills and others just say that they boost the skill?
Lightsabers: Particles or Waves?
- "The blade was not pure light, of course: it was energy from the same sort of power cell that fueled blasters, given form by passing through a kyber crystal as superheated plasma that arced at the top and returned to the hilt. It didn't give off heat until it touched something solid; the rest of the time, its power was contained by a force field."
- ―Heir to the Jedi, Chapter 3
Do I need to be touching the droid in order to use Mechu-deru?
Can I use Lightning to short out weapons and fuel cells?
Can I use Telekinesis to deactivate my opponent's lightsaber?