---
title: Anatomy of a Player Character
path: awq
cover:
  showInHeader: false
meta:
  publicationDate: 2025-10-08T08:43:00.000Z
  status: draft
  isFeatured: false
  tags: []
seo:
  noIndex: false
---
Every model shares some common abilities

## Main Characteristics
Characteristics define the innate abilities of a model, and each characteristic has two skills associated with it
- **Weapon Skill (WS):** Aptitude in landing and avoiding blows in close combat; governs _Melee_ and _Defence_
- **Ballistic Skill (BS):** Capability of Hand-Eye-Coordination; governs _Skirmish_ and _Evasion_
- **Strength (S):** Used for brute force, stamina and might; governs _Brawn_ and _Toil_
- **Toughness (T):** Resistance to physical Trauma; governs _Consume Alcohol_ and _Endurance_
- **Initiative(I):** Reflects speed of thought and perception; governs _Perception_ and _Outdoor Survival_
- **Dexterity (Dex):** Affinity for performing fine and delicate manual tasks; governs _Skullduggery_ and _Tradecraft_
- **Agility (Ag):** Physical coordination and natural athleticism; governs _Stealth_ and _Athletics_
- **Intelligence (Int):** Power of thought, analysis, and understanding; governs _Intuition_ and _Education_
- **Willpower (WP):** General strength if mind; governs _Cool_ and _Animal Handling_
- **Fellowship (Fel):** Ability to get on with people; governs _Leadership_ and _Charm_

## Secondary Characteristics
- **Corruption Threshold (CT):[^*]** Ability to withstand _Mutation_
- **Insanity Threshold (IT):[^*]** Ability to withstand _Insanity_
- **Wounds (W):** Number of wounds a model can endure before _out of play_
- **Movement (M):** Indicator of how far a model can move under normal conditionsA
- **Fate Points (FP):[^*]** Can be used to avoid certain death and dark fates
- **Luck Points (LP):[^*]** Used for Re-rolls
- **Attacks (A):** Indicator of the numbers of attacks a character can make in a single round
- **Magic (Mag):** Denotes the Model's Wizard Level

## Skills
Used in _Checks_
- **Melee (WS):** Used to make _Melee Attack_ actions
- **Defense (WS):** Used to defend against a model's _Melee Attack_ action
- **Shooting (BS):** Used to make _Ranged Attack_ actions with _Missile_ weapons
- **Throwing (BS):** Used to make _Ranged Attack_ actions with _Throwing_ weapons
- **Brawn (S):** Used for immediate feats of strength
- **Toil (T):** Used for prolonged manual labor
- **Consume Alcohol (T):** Used for resisting short-term hazards like alcohol and poison
- **Endurance (T):** Used to endure hardship, withstand deprivation, and survive harsh environments
- **Perception (I):** Used to notice things
- **Dodge (I):** Used to evade attacks and immediate hazards, e.g. Traps
- **Stealth (Ag):** Used for moving quietly and concealing
- **Athletics (Ag):** Used for running, jumping, climbing, and swimming
- **Streetwise (Dex):** Used for picking locks or pockets, disarming traps and other feats of Sleight of Hand
- **Crafting (Dex):** Used when crafting trappings
- **Intuition (Int):** Used for detecting subterfuge and determining value of objects
- **Education (Int):** Used for recalling relevant information
- **Cool (WP):** Used to remain calm under stress, resisting fear, and psychological coercion
- **Animal Handling (WP):** Used to charm, train, and care for animals
- **Leadership (Fel):** Used for intimidation, command, and coercing obedience; often resisted by _Discipline_
- **Charm (Fel):** Used for deceiving, blathering, haggling, gossiping; usually resisted by _Intuition_

## Traits
Inherent abilities often based on Species, examples include Flier (for flying Monsters), Dark Vision, Mutation, and so on

## Lore[^*]
Define what a character knows and specialist skills and come in the following categories
- _Academic:_ Represent various academic fields like Accountancy, Anatomy, History and Law
- _Cultural:_ Represent the knowledge of social groups and language
- _Enemy:_ Represent the knowledge of adversaries and how to effectively combat them
- _Environment:_ Represent the knowledge of surviving in various hazardous environment
- _Magic Lores:_ Represent the knowledge of the various forms of magic and enables casting spells from them+
- _Specialist Weapon Groups:_ Represent training with special weapons like Polearms, Two-Handed Swords, Blackpowder Guns
- _Trade Lores:_ Represent the knowledge and ability to create certain trappings or work in certain fields, example Blacksmith, Weaver, Engineer, Artist
- _Vehicle Lores:_ Represent knowledge in operating vehicles and mounts

## Talents[^*]
Represent certain knacks, tricks and innate abilities a character has, examples would be Ambidextrous, Aetheric Attunement, Menacing or Acute Senses

## Maneuvers[^*]
Represent special combat actions and tactics a character can employ during combat, examples include Formation Fighting, Disarm, and Shield Bash

## Careers[^*]
Represent building blocks of a character, that provide certain skills, lores, talents, maneuvers, etc.


[^*]: Only applicable for _Player Characters_