Torg Player Rules

Willpower
Use: Normally a macro skill.
Sample specializations: Specific defense (against charm, against
persuasion, against hypnosis, etc.), ignoring pain, self-control,
disbelieving illusions
Willpower represents a character’s strength of mind and ability
to remain true to a decision or course of action. It is most often
used as defense against character interaction skills such as charm
and persuasion and in some cases other interaction skills like trick,
test, taunt and intimidation.
For the latter skills, willpower can only be used as a defense
against macro uses of those types of interactions, during round play
the normal defenses must be used. This is because during round
play characters must react based on their instincts and do not have
time to apply their willpower to the situation.
Similarly, willpower may be used to disbelieve the existence of
illusionary magic, but only outside of round play. During round play
disbelieving illusionary magic defaults to the character’s base Mind
attribute. See Chapter Ten for more information on disbelieving
illusionary magic.
Willpower may be used as an active skill in situations where the
character faces a difficult temptation, needs to control an impulse
or has to overcome a natural reaction or instinct.
Example: Father Wagner, lost in the Sahara desert after being
separated from his friends by a sandstorm, staggers into an oasis,
dying of thirst (probably because he failed some survival skill checks.)
He crawls to the edge of the water and is about to start drinking
when Becky tells Tina that Wagner notices a strange spell coming
from the water and calls for a willpower check to see if he is able
to stop himself from drinking the possibly tainted water. Tina rolls
Chapter Three: Attributes and Skills
poorly and Wagner fails the skill check, so he greedily drinks from
the pool. Only after it’s too late is he able to consider the possibility
that the water is poisoned or otherwise unfit to drink.
At the gamemaster’s discretion, willpower may be used in the
same manner as the Toughness based resist pain skill. If allowed,
willpower can be used to resist the pain from mental and spiritual
wounds as well as physical wounds. Since resist pain is normally only
used in round play, using willpower in this fashion is an allowable
exception to it being a macro skill.
Charisma
Charisma measures the strength of a character’s personality: not
just how likable she is but also how effectively she can communicate
and her ability to form a bond or connection with someone. Charisma
can be used to gauge a character’s attractiveness but is not necessarily
an indicator of physical beauty, rather the combination of personality
and appearance.
Characters whose professions involve communication, swaying
opinions or convincing people about something would want a high
Charisma. Successful salesmen, politicians, actors and teachers are
examples of characters with good Charisma values.
A low Charisma indicates someone who appears unlikable,
untrustworthy and probably unpleasant to be around. They’re always
saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, have little empathy for
other people’s feelings and opinions and have difficulty expressing
themselves in ways other people can easily understand
Charisma-Related Skills
Charm
Use: Macro skill.
Sample specializations: Seduction, “making friends”, establishing
trust, gaining respect
Charm represents the ability to change the attitudes of
acquaintances and onlookers. Characters with a high charm value
can turn enemies into friends and friends into devoted followers.
Characters generate a charm total against the willpower or Mind
value of the target character. Successful use of charm improves
the attitude of the target character toward the charming character.
Failures with charm though can make things worse!
Charm can require a significant amount of time; at least five
minutes spent communicating with the target if not longer. The
more time spent on a charm, the more effective it might be and the
longer the effects may last. The complete rules for the use of charm
can be found in Chapter Four.
Performance Art*
Use: Unskilled use penalized. Macro skill.
Sample limitations: Acting, singing, storytelling, public
speaking, stand-up comedy, improvisational theater, live-action
roleplaying
Sample specializations: Specific field within a limitation (singing
opera, interpretive reading, dramatic acting, comedic acting, etc.)
Axiom: Social 3
This skill gives its user the ability to perform a work of “art”,
which is broadly defined as anything spoken, sung or otherwise
communicated that is designed to invoke some kind of response in
the audience. For example, a public speaker may want to convince
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