Stage 1: BASE

The Six Foundations of Personality

Numerically, the Six Foundations represent the general origination condition of the character in Passages. Each will have two numeric values. The first is the RAMPED number - using the formula in the right column. The second is the number of ramp rolls used to get to the Ramp (or, simply, the RAMP value divided by 5, the Step of the Ramp) Using the defined process in the right column, create values for each of the Six Pillars listed below. There is more to the Base than just this use; we will return to this topic later to cover those uses.

The Foundation of GRACE

Grace is one's relationship to the world in velocity, acceleration, and rate. In-game, one's Grace is the Optimal Foundation related to timing and coordination. Mechanical, Technical, Operational, or Control are possible because of Grace. Skills such as gymnastics, athletics, or other physical skills requiring precise and measured muscle control also benefit if the player has, by nature, substantial Grace. Even tangentially affected skills like stealth and silence, controlled breathing, and natural and trained balance on a moment-by-moment basis benefit from Grace.
Grace is analogous with: Balance, Coordination, Flexibility, Nimbleness, Speed, Quickness, Dexterity, Speed, Reaction, Initiative, Response, Instinct, Quickness, Decisiveness, Dexterity, Precision.

The Foundation of BRILLIANCE

Brilliance measures one's comparative mental understanding of the world. It works beautifully to describe the relative effectiveness of a Scene's Action in terms of what one might know, be able to figure out, or create as ideas, plans, and concepts. The application of Brilliance reflects the wisdom, awareness, and discernment of the individual. Further, Brilliance is a general collective term for one's ability to retain information, organize evidence and concepts, and implement these in the game.
Brilliance is analogous to Logic, Cognition, Comprehension, Intelligence, Wisdom, Calculation. It considers Common Sense, Awareness, Analysis, Appraisal, Discernment.

The Foundation of COGNIZANCE

The application of Presence represents the awareness and perception of that individual, a consciousness about one's position in the world, and how the world reacts to them. Cognizance describes the Persona - how the immediacy and spontaneity of a moment are handled - and affected - by the character.

Cognizance is representative of awareness, alertness, and intuition. It takes into consideration the focus and observational aspects and influences Reaction, Responsiveness, and Initiative.

The Foundation of RESILIENCE

It represents in-game the overall physical, mental, and emotional condition, capturing in its essence not only the rougher measures of exertion ( lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying, for example) but the tenaciousness and ineffable nature of the individual. It contributes to stamina and discipline in all ways, dealing with such situations as holding one's breath, physical fitness, and overall health. Additionally, it directly relates to resistances to infection, climate extremes, disease, and chemical and emotional dependencies.
Resilience takes on the equivalency of Constitution, Strength, Brawn, Fitness, and overall immunities to disease, poison, or other toxins.

The Foundation of RESOLVE

A characteristic new to the roleplay experience, Resolve is the term for an individual's measure of persistence, the tenacity o follow a course of action. It manifests as dedication, bravery, tenacity, and will. While the particular norm to which one maintains their dedication to a task can vary over time, it still measures how well one maintains one's focus and intention. It can assist one in maintaining obedience to principles and is reflective of one's respect and ardor for duty, honor, tradition, and the like.
Resolve has no real game analog and is, in essence, a paradigm shift from traditional gameplay mechanisms. It can bolster skills that relate to idealistic tenets and keeping on a particular task. It often acts to support or mollify Magical Effects or communication tactics intended to drive the member off course or mess with their resolve when pressured.

The Foundation of PRESENCE

A pebble thrown into a pool causes ripples. A person entering a room creates a presence, engaging with the scene and the environment and expressing the individual's identity therein. The eyes are the windows of the soul and how we assess everything. Our outward physical appearance, our affability and outwardness, and even our spirit are defined at least at some level by what we appear to be. Putting quantifiable values on just what is attractive or appealing about one is a difficult thing to do, and using numerical values as a relative scale is even more difficult. Still, whether we are easy on the eye but grating on the soul, one's appearance considers all the broad spectrum of visual and other sensory cues.
Presence is analogous in most cases to Charisma, Comeliness, Beauty, Desirability, and attractiveness. It encompasses grooming, features, attitudes, style, and glamor.

It's all about that Base.

The Base Values for each category of Persona are critical to the continuation of the story for each character. Players will have occasion to have exhausted all potential skill possibilities and need something of a lucky 'break' to avoid perhaps a fatal mistake or a colossal series of lethal circumstances. As a final stopgap for such, these Values act as independent supports, each called a FOUNDATION. Each stands alone, but collectively they average together to become the BASE. Each Foundation acts as an all-or-nothing die roll target for that particular Foundation. The player will roll percentage dice in such cases, hoping to roll UNDER that particular value BASE number. A successful roll is equal to or below the Base value. A roll higher than that is a failure. (yeah, that isn't good. But sometimes, BAD THINGS HAPPEN, even to the Good Guys).Foundation of a BASE.
In Passages, the BASE is the root and stock of your Persona and allows it to be measured against global norms. The BASE is the average of all six Foundation Values and its CORE that BASE value divided by five and rounded up.

The RAMP Process
Many times in Passages, a die roll will use the RAMP process to determine a result.
Passages checks are percentile in nature; the values attained will thus fall between 1 and 95 (leaving a statistically significant 5% for extreme and unexpected situations). In most cases, the RAMP will have an Initial Value of 5.
Having established the Set Value from the default or proscribed Initial value, the acronymic RAMP process can be accomplished as follows:
Roll against the Set Value. Roll percentage dice the target being equal or higher than the Value.
Assess the rolled number. If it is not higher than the Set Value, then the Value is "solid" and the process for that RAMP ends. Record the solid Value in the appropriate Pillar location, and the RAMP number (the number of die rolls you made successfully before the Value became solid).
If it is equal to or higher than the Set Value, continue to the next step.
Modify the Set Value, increasing it by the Step of the Ramp. The Step of RAMPs varies in range from 1 to 10, with most being 5. Once the Value has been Modified, then continue.
Proceed until all Set Values are SOLID.

Pillar	Solid	Ramps
Grace	35	7
Brilliance	30	6
Presence	40	8
Resistance	25	5
Persistence	35	7
Resolve	45	9

For ease of play, click HERE for a PDF of the Persona Sheet we use for all the various Passages