Attributes

Schema

{
  "attributeSettings": {
    "attributeNames": [
      "string"
    ],
    "startingAttributeValue": "number",
    "startingAttributePoints": "number",
    "attributeStatModifiers": {
      "<key>": {
        "variable": "string",
        "amount": "number"
      }
    },
    "maxStartingAttribute": "number",
    "lowAttributeThreshold": "number",
    "lowAttributeTraits": {
      "<key>": "string"
    },
    "attributeBonusModifier": "number",
    "attributeDamageModifiers": {
      "<key>": "number"
    },
    "attributeEvasionModifiers": {
      "<key>": "number"
    }
  }
}

Example

{
  "attributeNames": ["strength", "dexterity", "constitution", "intelligence", "wisdom", "charisma"],
  "maxStartingAttribute": 16,
  "startingAttributeValue": 8,
  "lowAttributeThreshold": 2,
  "lowAttributeTraits": {
    "strength": "Frail",
    "constitution": "Sickly",
    "intelligence": "Slow Learner",
    "charisma": "Off-Putting"
  },
  "attributeBonusModifier": 2.5,
  "attributeStatModifiers": {
    "strength": { "amount": 2, "variable": "health" },
    "constitution": { "amount": 1, "variable": "health" },
    "wisdom": { "amount": 2, "variable": "mana" },
    "intelligence": { "amount": 1, "variable": "mana" }
  },
  "startingAttributePoints": 27,
  "attributeDoubleCostAt": 14,
  "attributeDamageModifiers": {
    "strength": 2
  },
  "attributeEvasionModifiers": {
    "dexterity": 1
  }
}

Fields

attributeNames

Can be fully renamed or expanded. Attribute names inform how the AI decides which is relevant to an action. All attribute name strings must be lowercase. The engine normalises attribute lookups to lowercase internally; using mixed or title case (e.g. "Intellect" instead of "intellect") causes silent mismatches with skills[*].attribute and attributeStatModifiers lookups. The same lowercase strings must be used consistently everywhere attributes are referenced: attributeSettings.attributeNames, attributes dict keys, skills[*].attribute, traits[*].attributes[*].attribute, items[*].bonuses[*].variable (when type: "attribute"), and attributeSettings.attributeStatModifiers keys.

startingAttributeValue

Base value before point buy. Required.

lowAttributeThreshold

Attribute score below which a character is considered “low” in that attribute.

lowAttributeTraits

Keyed map of traits automatically applied to characters whose score falls below lowAttributeThreshold. Can be used to add narrative or mechanical penalties for dump stats. Leave {} to disable.

attributeStatModifiers

Maps each attribute to a resource boost. Each entry requires variable (the resource name) and amount (the boost per attribute point). No type field is needed.

• variable in modifiers: health, or any custom resource name.
• amount: 2 = “for every 1 point of this attribute, boost the resource by 2.”

⚠️

Warning (attributeStatModifiers does NOT take a type field): Each entry has only variable (the resource name) and amount (the bonus per attribute point above 10). Adding type: "characterResources" or any other type field is silently ignored — the entry still parses, but the extra field has no effect.

attributeDoubleCostAt

Extra-codec. Number. Attribute score at which each additional point costs 2 point-buy points instead of 1. Implements the D&D 5e point-buy rule where scores above a threshold become progressively more expensive. Common value: 14.

attributeDamageModifiers

Optional. Maps attribute names to a percentage bonus applied to the player’s outgoing damage. { "strength": 2 } gives +2% damage per strength point — a character with strength 12 deals +24% damage. Multiple configured attributes stack multiplicatively. Negative values are ignored. Calculated on buffed attribute values.

📋

Note (damage modifier stacking): attributeDamageModifiers applies a global percentage multiplier to all outgoing damage and stacks with — but does not replace — the existing per-skill attribute damage bonus for combat skills. The per-skill bonus is max(0, floor((effectiveAttr - 6) / 2)) added directly to damage, calculated from whichever attribute the skill uses. The global modifier applies on top of that. Both scale with the same buffed attribute value.

attributeEvasionModifiers

Optional. Maps attribute names to a percentage reduction in incoming damage to the player. { "dexterity": 1 } gives -1% incoming damage per dexterity point — a character with dexterity 14 takes 14% less damage. Multiple attributes stack multiplicatively. Negative values are ignored.

Keys in both modifier maps must match an entry in attributeNames exactly. A misspelled or unknown key (e.g. strenght) is silently ignored by the engine and contributes nothing, so the validator flags any key not found in attributeNames.