The 12 Attributes in Context

This system is designed to handle High Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Modern Thrillers, or Space Opera equally well by interpreting the 12 Attributes through the lens of the setting. The 12 attributes mean different things depending on the setting. You do not need to change the rules, only the Context.

Instead of the standard 6 stats (Str, Dex, Con, etc.) from old school rpgs, characters in WaySpace possess 12 specific competencies. These range from 0 (Average) to +10 (Superhuman).

In this system, the scale is exponential rather than linear. Moving from +4 to +5 is a much larger leap in capability than moving from 0 to +1.

The Universal Scale

  • Negative Scores (-1 to -5): The Impaired. Represents injury, disease, curses, or broken gear.

  • 0: The Baseline. An untrained youth or sedentary civilian. Capable of routine tasks only.

  • +1 to +2: The Professional. Trained adult, soldier, or apprentice. Competent under pressure.

  • +3 to +4: The Veteran. Elite special forces, master craftsman, olympic qualifier.

  • +5 to +6: The Peak. The absolute limit of unaugmented biology. Gold medalist, grandmaster.

  • +7 to +8: The Enhanced. Super-Soldier, Cybernetically augmented, High Wizard.

  • +9 to +10: The Absolute. Demigod, Elder AI, Dragon, Kaiju.

An illustration of four fantasy characters playing a tabletop role-playing game in a medieval-style room. The characters include a female elf, a male dwarf, and two male humans seated around a large wooden table with dice and papers. The room has stone walls, a large world map on the wall, bookshelves, and wall-mounted lamps.

The 12 Attributes Rated

  • A muscular, humanoid monster with tusks and pointed ears holding a spear outdoors with mountains in the background.

    Force

    Raw Power

    -3: Muscle atrophy. Cannot lift own body weight; struggle to stand.

    0: Can carry groceries or a backpack. Struggle to lift a heavy box.

    +2: Can bench press body weight. Can kick open a wooden door.

    +5: Can snap handcuffs. Can deadlift a motorcycle. Strikes shatter Riot Shields.

    +8 (Super): Can flip a tank. Can punch through a brick wall.

    +10 (God): Can stop a train with bare hands. Strikes create shockwaves.

  • A young man dressed as Superman with a blue suit, red cape, and red and yellow emblem on his chest, staring upward with a serious expression, with streaks of light swirling around him in the sky.

    Presence

    Command

    -3: Unnoticed. People bump into you and don't apologize. Mute.

    0: Can order a coffee without stuttering.

    +2: Squad Leader or Manager. People listen when you raise your voice.

    +5: Cult Leader or General. Can quell a riot with a speech. Can seduce a guard to let you pass.

    +8 (Super): Supernatural Charm. Enemies hesitate to attack you out of awe/fear.

    +10 (God): The Voice. Your commands force obedience. "Sleep" makes them sleep.

  • A woman in a futuristic cockpit within a cyberpunk cityscape illuminated by neon signs. She wears a red jacket, stylish glasses with digital interfaces, and displays a confident stance.

    Focus

    Precision

    -3: Severe myopia or shakes. Cannot hit the broad side of a barn.

    0: Can hit a stationary target at 10 meters with a few tries.

    +2: Trained Marksman. Can hit a moving target at 50 meters.

    +5: Sniper. Can shoot a coin out of the air. Can drive a car through a crowded market at 120kph without crashing.

    +8 (Super): "Wanted" physics. Can curve bullets or bounce arrows off walls to hit blind spots.

    +10 (God): Infinite range. If you can see it, you can hit it. Perfect accuracy.

  • A muscular man with tattoos, standing in water, with a fantasy landscape featuring crystal formations and a colorful cosmic sky in the background.

    Frame

    Density and Health

    -3: Immunocompromised or Hemophiliac. A common cold or small cut is lethal.

    0: Gets winded after running one block. Susceptible to flu/food poisoning.

    +2: Can run a 10k. Can take a punch without falling.

    +5: Marathon runner. Can survive being hit by a car (hospitalized, but alive). Immune to common diseases.

    +8 (Super): Bones are like steel. Small caliber bullets bruise but don't penetrate. Can hold breath for 30 minutes.

    +10 (God): Regenerates limbs instantly. Can survive hard vacuum or magma.

  • An older man with long white hair and a beard, dressed as a fantasy elf, holds a large open book and kneels among green foliage in a forest with a dragon-shaped tree in the background.

    Method

    Craft and Analyse

    -3: Confused by a door handle. Cannot perform basic first aid.

    0: Can assemble IKEA furniture (with instructions). Can put a band-aid on.

    +2: Mechanic or Nurse. Can fix a car engine or stitch a wound.

    +5: Master Surgeon or Engineer. Can rebuild an engine from scraps in a cave. Can perform heart surgery in a moving van.

    +8 (Super): Fabricator. Can build a drone out of a toaster. Can clone a body part.

    +10 (God): Matter manipulation. Can restructure atomic bonds to turn lead into gold.

  • A woman wearing a black wide-brimmed hat and trench coat holding a small flame in her hand on a foggy, deserted city street at dusk.

    Discipline

    Willpower

    -3: Catatonic or hysterical. Panics at a loud noise.

    0: Procrastinator. Gives up when tired or bored.

    +2: Soldier or Monk. Can stand watch for 24 hours. Resists basic bribery/temptation.

    +5: Zen Master. Immune to torture. Can mediate through physical injury.

    +8 (Super): Hive Mind. Your mind is a fortress; psychic attacks rebound and hurt the attacker.

    +10 (God): Unshakeable Reality. You can impose your will on the environment (minor reality warping).

  • A woman dressed as a superhero or sci-fi character flying through a neon-lit city streetscape with tall buildings, digital billboards, and futuristic advertisements.

    Agility

    Coordination

    -3: Inner ear damage or severe tremor. Cannot walk in a straight line.

    0: Can catch a tossed ball, but trips on uneven pavement.

    +2: Gymnast or skilled dancer. Can walk a tightrope.

    +5: Parkour master. Can catch a fly with chopsticks. Reaction time is 0.1s.

    +8 (Super): Bullet-timer. Can run across water before sinking.

    +10 (God): Teleport-like movement. Can dodge laser fire.

  • A man dressed in a suit and tie reading a book in a library with wooden shelves filled with books.

    Intellect

    Logic and Data

    -3: Amnesia or severe cognitive decline. Illiterate.

    0: High School graduate. Can use a smartphone and do basic math.

    +2: Professor or Hacker. Can speak 3 languages. Understands code/arcane runes.

    +5: Nobel Laureate. Can decrypt military grade codes mentally.

    +8 (Super): Living Supercomputer. Can calculate orbital trajectories instantly.

    +10 (God): Omniscience. You know things you have never learned.

  • A woman in a yellow saree standing with her hands raised, surrounded by armed soldiers in traditional attire, outdoors under a cloudy sky.

    Insight

    Empathy

    -3: Sociopathic inability to read social cues.

    0: Can tell if a close friend is sad. Frequently tricked by sales calls.

    +2: Detective or Therapist. Can spot a nervous tic. Hard to lie to.

    +5: Human Lie Detector. You can read micro-expressions perfectly. You know why someone is lying.

    +8 (Super): Telepathy. You can hear surface thoughts or read memories.

    +10 (God): Soul Gaze. You know a person's entire history and true name by looking at them.

  • A futuristic soldier wearing black armor with a helmet and visor, holding a weapon, standing in snowy mountain landscape during sunset or sunrise.

    Warding

    Defence

    -3: Sensory deprivation. Blind or Deaf.

    0: Flinches when threatened. Relying entirely on luck to not get hit.

    +2: Trained martial artist or soldier. Knows how to check corners and keep guard up.

    +5: Secret Service agent. Subconscious situational awareness; impossible to "sucker punch."

    +8 (Super): Can deflect bullets with a sword. Senses air displacement from invisible enemies.

    +10 (God): Personal forcefield. Attacks seem to phase through you or miss miraculously.

  • A black panther wearing a brown fedora hat, a brown trench coat, and black gloves. The background is a colorful cloudy sky with purple and teal hues.

    Guile

    Stealth

    -3: Wearing heavy bells or neon lights. Clumsy and loud.

    0: Can hide during Hide-and-Seek, but breathes too loudly.

    +2: Pickpocket or Hunter. Can move silently over grass.

    +5: Ghost Operative. Can hide in a shadowy corner of an occupied room without being seen.

    +8 (Super): Active Camouflage. Can hide in an empty, well-lit hallway.

    +10 (God): Does not cast a shadow or make sound. Effectively invisible to the naked eye.

  • A young man with short black hair in a red martial arts uniform, practicing a martial arts pose with a glowing fist against a background with glowing orbs and visible planets.

    Instinct

    Spirit and Luck

    -3: Cursed. Walking disaster area. Murphy's Law applies personally to you.

    0: Occasionally guesses the right answer.

    +2: Gambler. You win slightly more than you lose. You have a "bad feeling" about trapped doors.

    +5: Precog. You know the phone is ringing before it starts. You never get lost.

    +8 (Super): Fate-Bender. Probability shifts around you. Bullets jam when fired at you.

    +10 (God): Prophecy. You exist outside of linear time. You have read the GM's notes.