Using Ability Scores

Six abilities provide a quick description of every faction's collective physical and mental characteristics:

• Strength, measuring the faction membership's physical power
• Dexterity, measuring the faction membership's agility
• Constitution, measuring the faction membership's endurance
• Intelligence, measuring the faction membership's reasoning and memory
• Wisdom, measuring the faction membership's awareness and intuition
• Charisma, measuring the faction membership's force of personality

Is a faction comprised of renowned gladiators of great might and fortitude? Or is it a coalition of craftsmen, working together to create the best products available? Force-wielders working together, for good or ill? Or maybe it's a guild of shrewd merchants, attempting to corner the market. Ability scores defined these qualities—a faction's assets as well as weaknesses.

Ability scores govern a faction's ability to benefit it's members, as well as wage inter-faction conflict. The book's introduction describes the basic rule behind these rolls: roll a d20, add an ability modifier derived from one of the six ability scores, and compare the total to a target number.

This chapter focuses on how to use ability checks, covering how these checks benefit your faction's members and how they interact with other factions.

Each of a faction's abilities has a score, a number that defines the magnitude of that ability. An ability score is not just a measure of innate capabilities, but also encompasses a faction's member's training and competence in activities related to that ability.

A score of 10 or 11 is the normal average, but many factions are a cut above average in most abilities. A score of 18 is the highest that a faction usually reaches. Larger factions can have scores as high as 20, and galaxy-spanning factions can have scores as high as 30.

Each ability also has a modifier, derived from the score and ranging from -5 (for an ability score of 1) to +10 (for a score of 30). The Ability Scores and Modifiers table notes the ability modifiers for the range of possible ability scores, from 1 to 30.

To determine an ability modifier without consulting the table, subtract 10 from the ability score and then divide the total by 2 (round down).

Because ability modifiers affect almost every ability check, ability modifiers come up in play more often than their associated scores.

Ability Scores and Modifiers#

Sometimes a feature tells you that you have advantage or disadvantage on an ability check. When that happens, you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you have advantage, and use the lower roll if you have disadvantage. For example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the 17.

If multiple situations affect a roll and each one grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don't roll more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations grant advantage, for example, you still roll only one additional d20.

If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to have neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor disadvantage.

You usually gain advantage or disadvantage through the use of faction features. The GM can also decide that circumstances influence a roll in one direction or the other and grant advantage or impose disadvantage as a result.

Factions have a proficiency bonus determined by tier, as detailed in chapter 1. The bonus is used in the rules on ability checks.

Your faction's proficiency bonus can't be added to a single die roll or other number more than once. For example, if two different rules say your faction can add its proficiency bonus to a Wisdom ability check, you nevertheless add the bonus only once when you make the save.

Occasionally, your faction's proficiency bonus might be multiplied or divided (doubled or halved. for example) before you apply it. If a circumstance suggests that your faction's proficiency bonus applies more than once to the same roll, you still add it only once and multiply or divide it only once.

By the same token, if a feature or effect allows you to multiply your faction's proficiency bonus when making an ability check that wouldn't normally benefit from its proficiency bonus, you still don't add the bonus to the check. For that check your proficiency bonus is 0, given the fact that multiplying 0 by any number is still 0. For instance, if your faction lacks proficiency in the Intelligence ability score, it gains no benefit from a feature that lets it double your proficiency bonus when it make Intelligence checks.

Expertise#

Certain features, such as the Association Expertise feature, let your faction double its proficiency bonus with a given ability score, granting expertise in that ability score. As usual, you can only gain expertise in an ability score once.

An ability check represents a faction's ability to overcome a challenge. The GM calls for an ability check when a faction, or a faction member, attempts an action that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results.

For every ability check, the GM decides which of the 6 abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty of the task, represented by Difficulty Class. The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. The Typical Difficulty Classes table shows the most common DCs.

To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the relevant ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to the DC. If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is a success-the faction, or faction member, overcomes the challenge at hand. Otherwise, it's a failure, which means the faction or faction member makes no progress toward the objective or makes progress combined with a setback determined by the GM.

Contests#

Sometimes one faction's or faction member's efforts are directly opposed to another's. This can occur when both of them are trying to do the same thing and only one can succeed, such as accepting a mission reward from a third party. This situation also applies when one of them is trying to prevent the other one from accomplishing a goal—for example, when a faction is trying to usurp control or influence from another faction. In situations like these, the outcome is determined by a special form of ability check, called a contest.

Both participants in a contest make ability checks appropriate to their efforts. They apply all appropriate bonuses and penalties, but instead of comparing the total to a DC, they compare the totals of their two checks. The participant with the higher check total wins the contest. That faction or faction member either succeeds at the action or prevents the other one from succeeding.

If the contest results in a tie, the situation remains the same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant might win the contest by default. If two faction members tie in a contest to accept a mission reward, neither character grabs it. In a contest between a faction trying to usurp control or influence from another faction, a tie means control or influence is not usurped.

Ability Check DCs#

Passive Checks#

A passive check is a special kind of ability check that doesn't involve any die rolls. Such a check can represent the average result for a task done repeatedly, such as a faction and its member's normal vigilance, or can be used when the GM wants to secretly determine whether a faction succeeds at something without rolling dice, such as noticing a spy.

Here's how to determine a character's total for a passive check:

10 + all modifiers that normally apply to the check. If the faction has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5. The game refers to a passive check total as a score.

For example. if a 1st-tier faction has a Wisdom of 15 and proficiency in Wisdom, it has a passive Wisdom score of 14.

The rules on spying in the "Espionage" section below rely on passive checks.

Working Together#

Sometimes two or more factions team up to attempt a task. The faction who's leading the effort, or the one with the highest ability modifier, can make an ability check with advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other faction.

A faction can only provide help if the task is one that he or she could attempt alone. For example, attempting to mass produce a type of blaster requires members with proficiency with armstech's tools, so a faction whose members lack that proficiency can't help another faction in that task. Moreover, a faction can help only when two or more factions working together would actually be productive.

trying to open a lock requires proficiency with thieves' tools, so a character who lacks that proficiency can't help another character in that task. Moreover. a character can help only when two or more individuals working together would actually be productive. Some tasks are no easier with help.

Every task that a faction might attempt in the game is covered by one of the six abilities. This section explains in more detail what those abilities mean and the ways they are used in the game.

Factions of 2nd tier and higher are more adept at performing certain downtime activities. When a faction member of 2nd rank or higher attempts the favored downtime activity and rolls percentile dice, they also get to make a faction ability check and add it to the roll, provided they are in an area where the faction has influence. Each downtime activity is tied to a specific ability score, as discussed in this section.

Variant: Activities with Other Abilities#

Normally, your faction's favored activity only utilizes a specific ability score. Favoring the Crime downtime activity, for instance, usually applies a faction's Dexterity ability check. During resolution of an activity, however, a faction member might use utilize a different ability score during resolution. In such cases, the GM might allow you to roll a faction ability check utilizing a different ability score, or you might ask if you can use a different faction ability check. For example, if you are performing crime during downtime and using a security kit, your GM might call for a faction Intelligence check when rolling percentile dice, instead of Dexterity, even though Crime is normally associated with Dexterity.

Strength#

Strength measures the bodily power, athletic training, and the extent to which a faction's membership can exert raw physical force.

Strength Activities#

Many activities focus on using a character's might and power. When a character performs one of the following downtime activities, and it's their faction's favored downtime activity, they can make a faction ability check:

• Mercenary Contracting
• Pit Fighting
• Work
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by the GM.

Faction Checks#

Additionally, when two factions are in conflict—either directly or indirectly—one faction can attempt the following actions:

• 1
• 2
• Other actions as deemed appropriate by the GM.

The faction then makes a Strength check contested by the target faction's Constitution check. On a success, they achieve the attempted action. On a failure, they are instead rebuffed.

Dexterity#

Dexterity measures the agility, reflexes, and balance of a faction's membership.

Dexterity Activities#

Many activities capitalize on a character's nimbleness and stealth. When a character performs one of the following downtime activities, and it's their faction's favored downtime activity, they can make a faction ability check:

• Crime
• Work
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by the GM.

Faction Checks#

Additionally, when two factions are in conflict—either directly or indirectly—one faction can attempt the following actions:

• 1
• 2
• Other actions as deemed appropriate by the GM.

The faction then makes a Dexterity check contested by the target faction's Intelligence check. On a success, they achieve the attempted action. On a failure, they are instead rebuffed.

Constitution#

Constitution measures the health, stamina, and vital force of a faction's membership.

Constitution Activities#

Many activities focus on using a character's vitality and heartiness. When a character performs one of the following downtime activities, and it's their faction's favored downtime activity, they can make a faction ability check:

• Work
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by the GM.

Faction Checks#

Additionally, when two factions are in conflict—either directly or indirectly—one faction can attempt the following actions:

• 1
• 2
• Other actions as deemed appropriate by the GM.

The faction then makes a Constitution check contested by the target faction's Strength check. On a success, they achieve the attempted action. On a failure, they are instead rebuffed.

Intelligence#

Intelligence measures the mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability of a faction's membership to reason.

Intelligence Activities#

Many activities capitalize on a character's reasoning and memory. When a character performs one of the following downtime activities, and it's their faction's favored downtime activity, they can make a faction ability check:

• Crafting
• Gambling
• Racing
• Research
• Work
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by the GM.

Faction Checks#

Additionally, when two factions are in conflict—either directly or indirectly—one faction can attempt the following actions:

• 1
• 2
• Other actions as deemed appropriate by the GM.

The faction then makes an Intelligence check contested by the target faction's Dexterity check. On a success, they achieve the attempted action. On a failure, they are instead rebuffed.

Wisdom#

Wisdom measures how attuned to the world, perceptive, and intuitive a faction's membership is.

Wisdom Activities#

Many activities focus on using a character's intuition and awareness. When a character performs one of the following downtime activities, and it's their faction's favored downtime activity, they can make a faction ability check:

• Bounty Hunting
• Work
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by the GM.

Faction Checks#

Additionally, when two factions are in conflict—either directly or indirectly—one faction can attempt the following actions:

• 1
• 2
• Other actions as deemed appropriate by the GM.

The faction then makes a Wisdom check contested by the target faction's Charisma check. On a success, they achieve the attempted action. On a failure, they are instead rebuffed.

Charisma#

Charisma measures the the ability to interact effectively with others, confidence, and eloquence of a faction's membership.

Charisma Activities#

Many activities capitalize on a character's charm and presence. When a character performs one of the following downtime activities, and it's their faction's favored downtime activity, they can make a faction ability check:

• Buying Enhanced Items
• Carousing
• Selling Enhanced Items
• Work
• Other activities as deemed appropriate by the GM.

Faction Checks#

Additionally, when two factions are in conflict—either directly or indirectly—one faction can attempt the following actions:

• 1
• 2
• Other actions as deemed appropriate by the GM.

The faction then makes a Charisma check contested by the target faction's Wisdom check. On a success, they achieve the attempted action. On a failure, they are instead rebuffed.