What Are Traits?
In Savage Worlds, "Traits" encompass both Attributes (your raw abilities) and Skills (what you've learned to do). Think of Attributes as your character's hardware and Skills as their software!
Real World Analogy
Attributes are like a computer's specs (processor speed, RAM, graphics card), while Skills are like the programs you've installed. A powerful computer (high attributes) can run programs better, but you still need to install the programs (learn skills) to do specific tasks!
The Five Attributes
Every character has five core attributes that define their natural capabilities:
Agility
What it represents: Reflexes, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination
Linked Skills: Athletics, Boating, Driving, Fighting, Piloting, Riding, Shooting, Stealth, Thievery
Character Examples:
- d4: Professor X (wheelchair-bound)
- d6: Dr. Watson (average)
- d8: Black Widow (trained agent)
- d10: Spider-Man (superhuman reflexes)
- d12: The Flash (speed force)
Smarts
What it represents: Intelligence, wisdom, and mental acuity
Linked Skills: Academics, Battle, Common Knowledge, Electronics, Gambling, Hacking, Healing, Notice, Occult, Repair, Research, Science, Spellcasting, Survival, Taunt
Character Examples:
- d4: Kronk (well-meaning but dim)
- d6: Ron Weasley (average student)
- d8: Hermione Granger (brilliant)
- d10: Tony Stark (genius inventor)
- d12: Reed Richards (super-genius)
Spirit
What it represents: Willpower, courage, and inner strength
Linked Skills: Faith, Focus, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion
Character Examples:
- d4: Shaggy (easily frightened)
- d6: Peter Parker (before the bite)
- d8: Captain America (natural leader)
- d10: Wonder Woman (warrior princess)
- d12: Doctor Strange (master of will)
Strength
What it represents: Raw physical power and muscle
Linked Skills: Athletics (for climbing and throwing)
Character Examples:
- d4: Rocket Raccoon (tiny)
- d6: Frodo Baggins (hobbit strength)
- d8: Batman (peak human)
- d10: Captain America (super soldier)
- d12: The Hulk (strongest there is)
Vigor
What it represents: Endurance, health, and constitution
Linked Skills: None directly, but affects Toughness
Character Examples:
- d4: Sickly Victorian child
- d6: Peter Parker (normal teen)
- d8: Aragorn (ranger toughness)
- d10: Wolverine (healing factor)
- d12: Superman (invulnerable)
Core Skills
Skills represent learned abilities. Every character starts with some basic competence in Core Skills:
Athletics (Agility/Strength)
Running, jumping, climbing, swimming, and throwing. When Goku leaps between mountains or Captain America parkours through a city.
Common Knowledge (Smarts)
General education and cultural awareness. Knowing that vampires hate garlic or that you shouldn't feed Gremlins after midnight.
Notice (Smarts)
Perception and awareness. Sherlock's deductions, Daredevil's radar sense, or just spotting the ninja hiding in the shadows.
Persuasion (Spirit)
Convincing others through charm, logic, or emotion. From Captain Kirk's diplomacy to Naruto's talk-no-jutsu.
Stealth (Agility)
Moving unseen and unheard. Essential for ninjas, rogues, and teenagers sneaking past parents.
Skill Specializations
Combat Skills
- Fighting: Melee combat - swords, fists, lightsabers
- Shooting: Ranged weapons - guns, bows, blasters
- Battle: Tactical planning and mass combat
Example: Legolas has Shooting d12, Gimli has Fighting d10
Social Skills
- Intimidation: Frightening others - Batman's specialty
- Performance: Acting, singing, playing music
- Taunt: Mocking enemies - Spider-Man's combat banter
Example: Loki uses Taunt d10 to anger the Hulk
Knowledge Skills
- Academics: History, literature, arts
- Occult: Supernatural lore and magic theory
- Science: Physics, chemistry, biology
- Electronics: Computers and electronic devices
Example: Bruce Banner has Science d12, Dr. Strange has Occult d12
Physical Skills
- Driving: Cars, trucks, motorcycles
- Piloting: Aircraft and spacecraft
- Riding: Horses and other mounts
- Survival: Wilderness skills and tracking
Example: Han Solo has Piloting d10, Aragorn has Survival d8
Using Skills: The Skill Test
Common Skill Tests
Climbing a Wall (Athletics)
- Easy climb (rough wall, rope): TN 4
- Moderate (smooth wall): TN 6
- Hard (overhang, wet): TN 8
- Extreme (upside down): TN 10
Spider-Man with Athletics d10 laughs at walls!
Hacking a Computer (Electronics)
- Home PC: TN 4
- Corporate network: TN 6
- Government database: TN 8
- Tony Stark's AI: TN 10+
Oracle with Electronics d12 types "I'm in" and means it!
Spotting Hidden Enemies (Notice)
- Poor hiding spot: TN 4
- Good cover: TN 6
- Ninja in shadows: TN 8
- Invisible enemy: TN 10
Daredevil's heightened senses give him +2 to Notice!
Cooperative Rolls
Heroes often work together! When characters cooperate:
Support
Helper rolls their skill. Success gives +1 to the lead character, a raise gives +2.
Example: Robin helps Batman hack a computer. Robin rolls Electronics and gets a success, giving Batman +1 to his roll.
Group Rolls
Everyone rolls, use the best result plus +1 for each additional success.
Example: The Fellowship tries to move quietly past orcs. Everyone rolls Stealth, taking Legolas's roll and adding bonuses for others who succeeded.
Dramatic Tasks
When you need to defuse a bomb, hack the mainframe before guards arrive, or perform surgery during an earthquake, it's time for a Dramatic Task!
Famous Dramatic Task Moments
- Iron Man: Building the Arc Reactor in a cave (Repair)
- Mission Impossible: Hacking while dangling from the ceiling (Electronics)
- Speed: Keeping the bus above 50mph (Driving)
- Die Hard 3: Solving riddles before bombs explode (Smarts)
Skill Advancement
Characters improve through experience:
Improving Skills
- Below linked attribute: 1 Advance per die type
- At or above linked attribute: 1 Advance per die type
- New skill: Starts at d4 with 1 Advance
Peter Parker's Growth
Starting: Fighting d4 (untrained)
After spider-bite: Fighting d6 (1 Advance)
Trained by Tony: Fighting d8 (2 Advances)
Experienced hero: Fighting d10 (3 Advances)
Untrained Attempts
Don't have a skill? You can still try most things at d4-2!
Untrained Penalties
- Roll d4-2 for most skills (minimum 1)
- Some skills can't be used untrained (marked with *)
- Wild Cards still get their Wild Die!
Example: Thor needs to hack a computer. He doesn't have Electronics, so he rolls d4-2. Being a Wild Card, he also rolls a d6 and takes the better result. Somehow, randomly mashing keys works - must be divine intervention!
Key Takeaways
- Attributes (d4-d12) represent natural abilities
- Skills (d4-d12) represent learned abilities
- Most tasks need a 4+ to succeed
- Skills are linked to attributes but can exceed them
- Everyone has core skills; specialized skills need training
- Cooperation makes the dream work!