Character Trait:
Body
In the Atomic Role Play Game a character’s Body Trait represents their physical power and coordination. It is similar to wrapping Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution from Dungeons and Dragons into one. Body is one of the three main Traits that will make up your Atomic RPG System character’s foundation. Mind and Spirit are the other two core Character Traits. Character Traits affect many different aspects of a character.
These are automatically calculated in the Atomic RPG System character sheet.
However, it is a boon to Atomic RPG System players to know what they affect.
Specific Character Aspects Affected By the Body Trait
The Body Trait specifically represents your character’s physical abilities, which are based off the Body Trait. The Body Trait is the main Trait for Combatants and should be the highest of the three character Traits.
- Most important for Combatants.
- Increases Attack and Damage rolls for Combatant Powers.
- Increases Combatant Power Point Pools.
- Increases Body Defense.
- Athletics skill is increased by the Body Trait.
Role Playing a Character's Body Trait
When you begin to build a Atomic RPG System character, remember the flexibility that makes Atomic so different from other RPGs. Traditionally a high score on a character sheet means that character is better than other characters.
In Dungeons and Dragons, someone with a high Strength or Dexterity was buffer and more agile than everyone else. In the Atomic RPG System, the numbers are separated from the character role play. Players are certainly welcome to play a character with a high Body Trait as being super strong. In the Atomic RPG System a character sheet can have high scores but not necessarily be physically fit. Perhaps a character is obese, so they are not easily affected by Combatant Powers due to being able to “absorb” more damage. This is actually much more in line with how real gladiators were in ancient times. Or another character can be clumsy but always seem to fall the right way, or stumble at the most opportune times.
In fact, in the Atomic RPG System, we encourage players to play characters which were never before possible. This is the core philosophy of the Atomic RPG System: to separate the numbers from the role play. It is fundamental in making a better RPG. It gives the players the freedom to play a character they want to play rather than a character they have to mold to a specific type.
Keeping this core Atomic RPG System philosophy in mind, here are just a few different ideas a player could use to apply to a high Body Trait.
- The character is strong.
- The character is agile.
- The character is so obese weapons have a hard time hitting anything vital.
- The character is lucky clumsy.
- The character is small and wiry.
- The character can be sickly to seemingly grant a bonus to Body-based Powers.
- The character is huge and imposing.
- The character is small, giving opponents a sense of superiority.
Any of these would explain a high Body Trait and why these characters would have high Body Defenses, Body Attacks, and otherwise have a little something extra when it comes to the Body Trait numbers.
Set your mind free in order to find the perfect set of character role play elements that will bring your character and a high Body Trait to life!