Stats

Stats are a measurements of a character or objects inherent abilities. Example stats would be:

• for people: strength, smarts, magical mojo, agility, anal circumference.
• for vehicles: move speed, acceleration, armour resilience, cargo capacity, size of cupholders.

Stats differ from skills as "nature" differs from "nurture." Both describe what something can do, but stats are what something is and skills are what something has learned or acquired. Still, a system that uses both skills and stats may cause someone with high stats and little to no ranks in a skill to outperform someone with poor stats and high ranks in the skill. The importance of a stat may cause a God Stat or a Dump Stat if the stat is under-represented in the RAW of the game.

Some stats are divided into 'primary' and 'secondary' (or even 'tertiary'). Secondary stats are measurements of distinct aspects but they are derived from 'primary' stats instead of having their own measurements. (i.e.: psionic power maximum points as the sum of a character's smarts, judgement and confidence stats, or health-points as the average of one's endurance and strength stats)

Some systems avoid stats entirely and go with a skill based system instead. Some people call skill ratings stats, too. In fantasy games, a person's nature can be altered relatively easy, making stats something you can acquire like skills. The distinction is a bit muddy.

Examples

Dungeons & Dragons has the most-imitated set of stats ever: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma. Three physical, three mental.

Fallout's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system. The SPECIAL stats are:

• Strength: A measure of your raw physical power. It affects how much you can carry, and determines the effectiveness of all melee attacks
• Perception: A high perception grants a bonus the Explosives, Lockpick and Energy Weapons skills, and determines when red compass markings appear(which indicate threats).
• Endurance: Endurance is a measure of your overall physical fitness. A high Endurance gives bonuses to health, enviromental resistances and the big guns and unarmed skills.
• Charisma: Having a high Charisma will improve people's disposition toward you, and give bonuses to both the Barter and Speech skills.
• Intelligence: Intelligence affects the Science, Repair and Medicine skills. The higher your Intelligence, the more skill points you'll be able to distribute when you level up.
• Agility: Agility affects your Small Guns and Sneak skills, and the number ofAction Points available for V.A.T.S
• Luck: Raising your luck will raise all of your skills a little. Having a high Luck will also improve your critical chance with all weapons.

Car Lesbians has only two stats for any of the car-racers that represent players: Car and Hotness, because the mechanics orbit entirely around car-racing and chicks making out with chicks. The game is about as deep as a pleather miniskirt, so it doesn't need much.

Ironclaw stats for people Race, Career, Mind, Body, Speed and Will, each measured in the size of a die. Checks are done by rolling dice for the stat(s) relevant to the task at paw hand, adding the skill die if you have it, and comparing the sum to a target number.

White Wolf's World of Darkness system had nine stats for each character, grouped as Physical, Mental and Social stats. These stats were measured in points or dots from 1-5. Every check involved a relevant stat and skill (measured from 0-5) to see how many dice you would roll. Stats are broadly applicable because every check must involve a stat, but there are fewer stats than skills. Furthermore, some reaction checks would use only a stat and no skill.