SPIRIT:
Speed
Prowess
Immunity
Resolve
Ingenuity
Talent
The SPIRIT system is a simple system to create characters for a variety of games. The system runs on a scale of -1 to 4 (0 being the “norm”), with variations by system on top of that. To perform a task, a difficulty is assigned (behind the scenes or up front) and an aspect of the character’s SPIRIT is chosen to rule the task. A 10-side die is thrown (or a random integer is generated from 1 to 10), the aspect is added to the roll, and the result is compared to the difficulty. If the total is equal to or greater than the difficulty: success! Otherwise: failure.
I personally run SPIRIT with an additional aspect: critical success and failure. If the value of the die roll plus aspect exceeds the target number by 5 or more, the character has achieved a critical success, resulting in extremely beneficial results. However, if the roll plus aspect value is lower than the target by 5 or more, the opposite is true: a critical failure occurs, bringing extremely detrimental outcomes to the character. Anyone else using SPIRIT is welcome to devise their own system, however.
An average task, one an average individual will succeed at half the time, has a difficulty of 6. Truly monumental tasks (lifting a car, solving Fermi’s Last Theorem, shrugging off cancer) may have difficulties of 11 or greater. Most difficulties will fall between 3 and 8.
In most games, characters will be built with between 4 and 8 points to divide among the aspects, but the exact total is up to the Game Master: more for more powerful characters, less for weaker characters.
The aspects of SPIRIT:
Speed: Speed covers tasks requiring haste and coordination, be it of hand, eye, foot or mind. Characters with a high Speed aspect will tend to be lithe and willowy. Catching a ball, running a race, or solving an equation in seconds are all tasks of Speed.
Prowess: Prowess covers tasks requiring strength, toughness, or size. Characters with a high Prowess aspect will tend to be brutes of both stature and frame. Striking a foe, breaking a board, or lifting a gate are all tasks of Prowess.
Immunity: Immunity covers tasks requiring resistance to adversity, both mental and physical. Characters with a high Immunity aspect will tend to be sturdy and stoutly built. Resisting pain, absorbing injury, and shrugging off illness are all tasks of Immunity.
Resolve: Resolve covers tasks requiring dedication, drive, and willpower. Characters with a high Resolve aspect will tend to be stubborn, ambitious, and proactive. Forced marching, prolonged argument, and resisting persuasion are all tasks of Resolve.
Ingenuity: Ingenuity covers tasks requiring cleverness, creativity, and imagination. Characters with high Ingenuity will tend to be inquisitive, probing and insightful. Solving a riddle, jury-rigging a repair, or crafting a tale are all tasks of Ingenuity.
Talent: Talent covers tasks requiring poise, grace, and charm. Characters with high Talent will tend to be charismatic, beautiful, and alluring. Commanding an army, navigating etiquette, and performances of all sorts are tasks of Talent.
For our game, let's start with 5 points to distribute among attributes that start at 0. You may knock an attribute down to -1 for an extra point. When you make an attack or action, state which attribute you'd like to use. Prowess and Speed aren't the only attributes that are acceptable for attacks; attempting to trick an opponent or use the environment to your advantage would use Ingenuity, and attacks that require adept maneuvering or would use Talent.