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Attributes Have to Make Sense!

Since BESM is an effects-based system, it’s possible for you to create Attribute combinations that are illogical or make no sense within the context of your campaign. While the GM always has final say, don’t try to break the spirit of the rules by creating inane Attribute applications. BESM is about providing guidelines for role-playing ... not foolproof mechanics

How an Att ribute Works

Since BESM is a multi-genre game system, many of the Attributes presented herein may derive their power from different sources that are relevant to your specific campaign setting and parameters. For example, a character’s Flight Attribute could manifest as a result of a variety of sources: magic (in a high-fantasy setting), supernatural (in a horror or superheroic setting), psionics (in a post-human setting), technological (in a cyberpunk setting), genetic enhancements (in a “future- Earth” setting), natural ability (for winged creatures), etc. The possible sources that exist for your character’s powers will be outlined by the Game Master when necessary. For each Attribute assigned to your character, you should understand how that power was derived — the source of the Attribute. Although the source doesn’t need to be recorded on a character sheet, you should have a firm concept before assigning any Attribute. Sources are particularly important when the effects of certain Attributes are considered, including those of Block Power, Mimic, and Nullify. Those Attributes only act upon other Attributes that have particular sources. For example, a Nullify Attribute might only cancel out other magical Attributes, or other technological Attributes, or other genetically-enhanced Attributes, etc. Below is a partial list of possible Attribute sources, though you can develop your own when necessary with GM approval.
Divine — Attributes that are granted by The Powers That Be.
Magical — Attributes that derive from arcane or mystical energies.
Mutation — Attributes that arise from gene mutations, either constructed or accidental.
Natural — Attributes that are an extension of normal evolution of a species.
Psionics — Attributes that are powered primarily by thought alone.
Social — Attributes that outline advantages obtained through social interaction.
Skilled — Attributes that are acquired though learned and applied knowledge.
Supernatural — Attributes that defy natural laws without other obvious sources.
Technological —Attributes that function by using hard science and equipment.

Cost: 10 Points/Level
Progression: Linear; +1 Attack Combat Value each Level

Attack Combat Mastery denotes either an innate “killer instinct” or the character’s intimate knowledge of a wide range of offensive combat techniques covering all aspects of armed and unarmed encounters. The Melee Attack (page 40) and Ranged Attack (page 48 ) Attributes lets a character specialise with particular weapons or specific styles, but Attack Combat Mastery allows a character to pick up any weapon (or use none at all) and be dangerously proficient. See page 105 for more information on the Attack Combat Value. Ranged Attacks and Size Characters and animals that are smaller than medium gain a bonus to Attack Combat Mastery when using ranged attacks only, as appropriate (see page 10 cool . The cost for this version of Attack Combat Mastery is reduced to 5 Points/Level.

Cost: 2 or 12 Points/Level
Relevant Stat: Soul
Progression: Linear; opponent has -1 penalty to
effect character using +1 specific Attribute
each Level

Block Power is the ability to ward off an enemy’s use of an offensive Attribute when the character is targeted for assault. A magician’s counterspell or a protective amulet or scroll could be represented by Block Power. Block Power only works on Attributes that derive their powers from one particular source (such as magic or technology or supernatural ability; see the Designer’s Note on page 14) and that are ongoing or instantaneous (not permanent). The GM may allow Block Power to function against other classes of Attributes with a good justification. Block Power is the basic form. At a cost of 2 Points/Level, the character can block the offensive use of one Attribute at each Level. The identity of the Attributes must be determined during character creation (or when Block Power is assigned as advancement). In the case of the Weapon Attribute, only another character’s single, specific attack is blocked (which reduces an enemy’s attack roll). Block Power — Unlimited. For 12 Points/Level, the character can block offensive uses of all source-related Attributes, including all Weapons. When an opponent targets the character with a Blocked Attribute, he or she must succeed with an opposed Stat roll — but the attacker receives a penalty to his or her roll equal to the target’s Block Power Attribute Level. If the roll fails, the Attribute does not affect the character (although a multitarget Attribute may still affect the other targets).

Cost: 10 or 15 Points/Level + Special (see below)
Relevant Stat: Body
Progression: Linear; +5 damage converted into Health Points each Level

Damage Absorption is used to represent a character who grows stronger as he or she absorbs the energy of particular attacks. Certain types of demons, elementals, giant monsters, and artefacts may occasionally have this quality. The character can absorb up to 5 damage received from physical attacks (such as guns, swords, punches, or energy blasts) each Level, and change them into a corresponding number of Health Points or Energy Points before damage is inflicted (Health Points or Energy Points must be selected when this Attribute is first assigned). The new Health Points are added to the character’s current total immediately, which may temporarily raise the total above its normal maximum. Damage stopped by the character’s Armour Rating or Force Field Attribute cannot be absorbed. There are two versions. Damage Absorption — Charging is the basic version, and costs 10 Points/Level; the character’s Health Point or Energy Point total can never rise above his or her normal maximum (extra Points are lost). Damage Absorption — Boosting costs 15 Points/Level, and lets the character’s Health Point or Energy Point total be raised as high as twice its normal maximum value (for a duration of one hour). Damage can both be absorbed and converted (by the Damage Conversion Attribute; page 26) at the same time. Damage Absorption does not convert damage from non-physical or complex attacks, often including Weapons with the following Custom Variables: Continuing, Drain (Any), Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, Psychic, Stun, Tangle. Combined Restoration For an additional 10 Points/Level, this Attribute can be specified as Damage Absorption: Combined Restoration. At each Attribute Level, the character still absorbs 5 damage to convert to his or her own use, but the absorbed Points are channelled to both Health Points and Energy Points simultaneously (5 to each/Level). Thus, the final cost would be either 20 Points/Level for Damage Absorption — Charging: Combined Restoration or 25 Points Points/Level for Damage Absorption — Boosting: Combined Restoration.

Cost: 10 Points/Level
Progression: Linear; +1 Defence Combat Value each Level

Defence Combat Mastery denotes either an innate “danger instinct,” or the character’s intimate knowledge of a wide range of defensive combat techniques covering all aspects of armed and unarmed encounters. The Melee Defence (page 40) and Ranged Defence (page 48 ) Attributes lets a character specialise with particular weapons or specific styles, but Defence Combat Mastery allows a character to pick up any weapon (or use none at all) and still proficiently defend. See page 105 for more information on the DefenceCombat Value.
Ranged Attacks and Size Characters and animals that are smaller than medium gain a bonus to Defence Combat Mastery against ranged attacks only (see page 10 cool . The cost for this version of Defence Combat Mastery is reduced to 5 Points/Level.

Cost: 4 Points/Level
Relevant Stat: Body
Progression: Medium progression, starting at stretching 10 cm at Level 1 (10 cm, 30 cm, 1 m, 3 m, 10 m, 30 m, etc.)

The character can stretch or contort his or her limbs and/or body to a superhuman degree, extending from 10 cm of stretching at Level 1 to 3 km and beyond at Levels 10+. This is most appropriate for giant robots with telescoping arms, sinuous demons or aliens, and rubbery creatures. Increased Levels not only provide greater flexibility, but also the control over fine manipulation (such as using a stretched finger to move specific tumbling mechanisms on a key lock). At high Levels, characters can squeeze under doors and through small holes, as well as mimic crude shapes. While stretched, the character receives a +1 Unarmed Attack/ Defence (Grappling) Skill bonus for each Level of Elasticity. Extremely malleable characters — who can contort their bodies into a virtually unlimited number of shapes to gain the benefits of other Attributes — should acquire the Dynamic Powers (page 29) or Power Flux Attribute (page 45) instead.

Cost: 2 Points/Level
Relevant Stat: Soul
Progression: Linear; influence over +1 environment each Level

The character can initiate minor influence over environmental conditions in a surrounding 10-metre area, such as light, darkness, heat, cold, sound, specific weather conditions, etc. Creating a particular zone of Environmental Influence requires a general action. The effect lasts as long as the character desires.
The control is not sufficient to inflict significant damage on individuals or objects within the area of influence unless the target is particularly susceptible to damage from that environment (such as delicate plants dying from cold air, or a vampire with a Bane Defect to bright light). For damaging environmental effects, the character should acquire the Weapon Attribute (page 60) with the Dependent Restriction (page 78 ). For a much more versatile influence over the environment (such as weather control) see the Dynamic Powers Attribute (page 29) or Power Flux (page 45).

Cost: 2 Points/Level
Relevant Stat: Soul
Progression: Linear; see below

A character with this Attribute knows how to perform or create rituals, charms or spells, or has a psychic power, that is capable of releasing, through touch, the victims of supernatural entities, possession, or mind control. Exorcism is used to reverse the results of the Mind Control Attribute. The attempt is made against the subject of the control, but it is the controller (who may or may not be present) who resists. A successful exorcism “cures” a character who is subject to Mind Control. This requires an opposed roll between the exorcist’s Soul Stat + Exorcism Attribute and the controller’s Soul Stat + Mind Control Attribute. If the exorcist wins, the target is freed. If he or she fails, the target remains under control, and the mind controller (if not present) is alerted that someone is interfering with his or her control. Exorcism may also be used to reverse the effects of the Metamorphosis Attribute if the alteration is Soul-based (GM’s discretion). If it is physical in nature, Healing is used instead. Use the same procedure, making an opposed roll between the exorcist’s Soul Stat + Exorcism Attribute and the source of the Metamorphosis’s Soul Stat + Metamorphosis Level. However, an exorcist may make only one attempt per day to reverse a particular individual’s Metamorphosis. Some exorcists also have the power to actively dispel demons, undead, and other entities who are present in the flesh, draining energy from them, sending them home, or destroying them. This should be taken as the Weapon Attribute with the Targeted (and often Psychic) Variables. The Exorcism Attribute is often contained within Items such as holy relics.

Cost: 1 Point/Level
Relevant Stat: Variable
Progression: Linear; +1 Feature each Level

The character possesses various secondary abilities that grant useful, but minor, advantages. The GM may assume that any feature is too trivial (in the context of the campaign) to require characters to purchase this Attribute to represent it. In particular, a character or Item need not acquire accessories that are purely descriptive, implied by other Attributes (such as fins if you have Water Speed) or are ubiquitous given its size and other functions (like headlights or safety belts in a modern vehicle, or fur/feathers on an animal). GMs should take care not to make individual Features too important. If a Feature is so useful that every character needs it to compete, than it shouldn’t be just a Feature. See Table 4-3: Example Features for a partial list of Features that the GM may make available in your game. Personal Features Features can also be used to grant various minor talents, such as eidetic memory, perfect pitch, or weather sense. Personal features of this sort may grant a slight (+1) or significant (+3) bonus to Stat or Skill rolls in certain circumstances, but should not usually be more useful than Skills (page 52).

Racial Features
Features possessed by non-humans can reflect various small biological advantages provided they are not covered by other Attributes. Examples of racial features include low-light vision (like a cat — not the ability to see in total darkness), a pouch, light armour (with Armour Rating 1), etc. A wide range of other Attributes covers other more useful racial abilities and features such as wings (see Flight), fangs (see Weapon), and super hearing (see Heightened Senses); these are not Features.

Technological Features
These are usually assigned to robots, androids, or cyborgs, or embodied in Items such as vehicles or handheld gadgets. Examples include camera, computer, global positioning system, stereo system, etc. Most technological devices not covered by other Attributes can be represented as a single Feature with no other Attributes, though trivial or common Features need not be assigned.

Features (Appearance)
Characters may be reasonably attractive (or average, or mildly unattractive) at no Character Point cost. Features (Appearance) represents outstanding looks that will turn heads and influence reactions. They may be further defined as beauty (engendering romantic attraction if so inclined) or cuteness (encouraging feelings of protectiveness). Appearance may be assigned multiple times indicates to represent heightened levels of extreme beauty or cuteness, with Appearance x3 usually representing the most beautiful, handsome, or cute person in the world.

Features (Extra Capacity)
This is a very common technological feature for vehicle and location Items, but it can also be applied to anyone large enough to carry someone inside itself, such as a living starship or a god with a city in its body. Assigning it once allows one extra person or up to 100 kg of cargo to be carried. Each extra assignment of Extra Capacity doubles this, following slow progression (Table 4-1; page 15); thus, Features (Extra Capacity 3) allows an extra 4 people or 400 kg. This capacity is in addition to the one person that is assumed to fit inside a vehicle or location. It can be assigned any number of times, but unless the character or Item is bigger inside than it is outside, an appropriate Awkward Size (page 94) should also be assigned.

Features (Negative Size Category)
This Feature can only be assigned to mecha Items that are used in combat situations — vehicles, giant robots, spy hover-cams, spaceships, etc.. For every Size Rank (page 10 cool the Item is below the default (medium; Size 0), the Item must have this Feature at the cost of 4 Ranks. Tiny Items make smaller targets in ranged combat. For every Size Rank the target is smaller than the attacker, the attacker gains a -1 penalty to hit with a ranged weapon. Conversely, for every Size Rank the target is larger than the attacker, the attacker receives a +1 bonus with a ranged weapon. For example, a if a small Item (Size -1) and a diminutive Item (Size -3) are in ranged combat, the small Item gains a -2 penalty to hit while the diminutive Item gains a +2 bonus to hit.

Cost: 3 Points/Level
Relevant Stat: Mind
Progression: Linear; +4 Armour Rating each Level

A Force Field is an energy field around the character that protects against incoming attacks. Force Fields can represent magical barriers, telekinetic shields, or technological “screens.” A Force Field can be “up” or “down.” When down, it does not stop any damage. Unless the Detectable Restriction is assigned, an up Force Field is invisible. Force Field status must be determined at the start of the character’s actions for the round and cannot be changed until his or her turn to act in the next round. Damage is first reduced by the Force Field’s Armour Rating, with any additional damage that got past it applied against Armour (if any). Thus, if a weapon hit successfully penetrates a Force Field, the Armour Attribute can still protect against it.
A typical Force Field is different from Armour, since it can be battered down by a sufficiently powerful attack. If an attack inflicts more damage than the Force Field prevents (even if the rest of the damage is stopped by Armour), the Force Field temporarily loses one Level of effectiveness. The character can only regain Levels if the field is “down” and regenerating, unless the Regenerating Variable is assigned. A Force Field recovers one Level for every full round it is turned off and not in operation (“down”). A Force Field that is knocked to zero Levels automatically shuts off to regenerate.