Bulletproof Blues 3e EN:Attributes
We assign numbers to characters' abilities so that we can tell what they can do. No one wants to guess what their characters can pick up or how fast they can fly. Attributes in Bulletproof Blues are ranked on a scale from 1 to 10. Most people have attributes of 1 or 2. Few people reach 3 in any attribute, and 4 is the peak of human potential.
Attributes cost one character point each up to 3, two character points each from 4 to 6, three character points each from 7 to 9, and four character points to increase an attribute from 9 to 10.
Peak human potential is marked in red.
| Description | Value | Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | |
| Great | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| 5 | 2 | 7 | |
| 6 | 2 | 9 | |
| Fantastic | 7 | 3 | 12 |
| 8 | 3 | 15 | |
| 9 | 3 | 18 | |
| Inconceivable | 10 | 4 | 22 |
Random Character Generation
Would you like to roll dice for your attributes? You can! Roll three six-sided dice, and consult the following table to see what you get:
| Roll 3d6 | Value | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 4-6 | 2 | 2 |
| 7-10 | 3 | 3 |
| 11-14 | 4 | 5 |
| 15-17 | 5 | 7 |
| 18 | 6 | 9 |
Roll six times, and add up the total cost. Subtract that total from your pool of character points.
Now assign what you rolled to your character's attributes (Agility, Brawn, Endurance, Presence, Reason, Power Level), placing each number wherever you like.
Agility
Agility represents a character's coordination, ranged fighting ability, and general flexibility. Also see Super-agility, which allows a character to add their Power Level to their Agility for the purpose of making noncombat skill rolls.
Agility determines a character's base movement speed. Note that a character with Super-running or Super-swimming can move far faster than they could with their Agility alone. Agility is the default attribute used for attacking and defending in ranged combat. See the Actions chapter for more information.
If a character's Agility is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty moving. They must succeed at a moderately difficult (DV 3) Athletics (Presence) roll every round just to take a step or two, and they automatically fail any Agility rolls. Agility may not be reduced below zero.
Peak human potential is marked in red.
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Brawn
Brawn represents a character's physical might, hand-to-hand fighting ability, and general hardiness. Also see Super-brawn, which allows a character to add their Power Level to their Brawn for the purpose of making noncombat skill rolls.
Brawn determines how much a character can lift and how far they can throw things. Note that a character with Super-lifting can lift and throw objects far more massive than they could with their Brawn alone. Brawn is the default attribute used for hand-to-hand combat. See the Actions chapter for more information.
If a character's Brawn is reduced to zero, they are unable to stand, and they have great difficulty moving. They must succeed at a moderately difficult (DV 3) Athletics (Presence) roll every round just to crawl a meter, and they automatically fail any Brawn rolls. Brawn may not be reduced below zero.
Peak human potential is marked in red.
| Brawn | Lift | Example | Throw (25 kg) |
Long Jump |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 25 kg | medium dog | 1 m | 0 m |
| 1 | 55 kg | pony keg of beer | 1 m | 1 m |
| 2 | 120 kg | heavy adult | 2 m | 1 m |
| 3 | 260 kg | large brown bear | 5 m | 2 m |
| 4 | 550 kg | polar bear | 11 m | 5 m |
| 5 | 1,700 kg | full size car | 35 m | 11 m |
| 6 | 5,500 kg | empty dump truck | 110 m | 35 m |
| 7 | 17 t | Polaris missile | 350 m | 110 m |
| 8 | 55 t | loaded tanker truck | 1,100 m | 350 m |
| 9 | 170 t | locomotive | 3,500 m | 1,100 m |
| 10 | 550 t | 747 passenger plane | 11 km | 3,500 m |
- Lift indicates the greatest weight that the character can "deadlift" (pick up off the ground to the level of the hips). A character carrying or supporting such a weight can take at most one or two steps per round. A character can move normally while carrying a weight corresponding to one less than their Brawn. For example, a character with Brawn 8 could carry up to 17 tonnes and suffer no penalties to their movement while doing so.
- Throw (25 kg) indicates the farthest distance that a character could throw a compact object weighing 25 kg. To see how far a character can throw heavier objects, subtract the Brawn required to lift the object from the character's total Brawn. Look up the difference in the "Brawn" column: this indicates how far the character can throw the object. For example, a character with Brawn 8 could throw an object weighing 65 kg (such as a cooperative slender human) up to 350 meters.
- Standing Long Jump indicates the character's standing long jump. With a running long jump, the character's ground movement is added to their long jump distance.
Endurance
Endurance represents a character's ability to shrug off physical and mental abuse. Endurance acts as a reservoir of points which is expended as the character is injured, and replenished as the character recovers. The base attribute is referred to as the character's "total Endurance" or "maximum Endurance", while the changing value is referred to as the character's "current Endurance". It is rare for an attack to alter a character's maximum Endurance, so when the rules specify that a character loses Endurance, you may assume that it is referring to the character's "current Endurance" unless it specifies "maximum Endurance".
When a character is successfully attacked, one (or more, if using the optional margin of success rules) is subtracted from their current Endurance. A character whose current Endurance has been reduced to 1 can speak and take roleplaying actions, but any other action, including combat, incurs a penalty die. A character whose current Endurance is reduced to zero is defeated: they are out of the fight, and probably unconscious. Endurance may not be reduced below zero.
Presence
Presence represents a character's determination, mental combat fighting ability, and understanding of the motivations of others. Also see Super-presence, which allows a character to add their Power Level to their Presence for the purpose of making noncombat skill rolls.
If a character's Presence is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty making choices or taking action, and they automatically fail any Presence rolls. Presence may not be reduced below zero.
Reason
Reason represents a character's ability to analyze data, draw conclusions from the facts at hand, and solve problems. Also see Super-reason, which allows a character to add their Power Level to their Reason for the purpose of making noncombat skill rolls.
If a character's Reason is reduced to zero, they have great difficulty concentrating. They must succeed at a moderately difficult (DV 3) Diplomacy (Presence) roll every round just to form a sentence or understand a simple question, and they automatically fail any Reason rolls. Reason may not be reduced below zero.
Power Level
Power Level represents the strength of a character's posthuman abilities: their technological might, alien potency, psychic potential, and so on. Most people have a Power Level of zero.
Some abilities allow a character to add their Power Level to a skill roll. If the character has more than one such ability, the character's Power Level is added to their skill roll only once.
If a power affects an area, the radius of the area is dictated by the character's Power Level. This distance is a maximum, not a requirement: a character may choose to target a smaller area. Also see Increased Area, which increases the maximum area of a character's area powers.
Similarly, if a power is ranged, the maximum range of the power is dictated by the character's Power Level. Also see Increased Range, which increases the maximum range of a character's ranged powers.
If a character's Power Level is reduced to zero, they can no longer activate any of their posthuman powers (constant powers are unaffected). Power Level may not be reduced below zero.
| Power Level | General Effect | Mass | Area | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 55 kg | 1 m radius | 10 m |
| 2 | 4 | 120 kg | 1 m radius | 10 m |
| 3 | 8 | 260 kg | 1 m radius | 10 m |
| 4 | 16 | 550 kg | 10 m radius | 100 m |
| 5 | 32 | 1,700 kg | 10 m radius | 100 m |
| 6 | 64 | 5,500 kg | 10 m radius | 100 m |
| 7 | 125 | 17 t | 100 m radius | 1 km |
| 8 | 250 | 55 t | 100 m radius | 1 km |
| 9 | 500 | 170 t | 100 m radius | 1 km |
| 10 | 1,000 | 550 t | 1 km radius | 10 km |