§1 The Five Identity Aspects
What makes a character who they are? In Syn City's system, there are five primary aspects.
- Stats — dictate what you can do at the most fundamental level. No bells or whistles here; these are the building blocks that comprise your other aspects.
- Skills | 6 slots (3 combat + 3 non-combat) — upgradeable. You can progress them because you can hone your skills. These cover things you might do in the world. Know how to build a grenade? That's a skill.
- Techniques | 5 slots — abilities you can use in combat or combat-related circumstances to mix things up and keep your enemy on their toes.
- Traits | 10 slots* — unchanging things that describe you and affect the outcomes of what you do. You can't upgrade these, but you can upgrade yourself with cybernetics instead, which compete with Traits for 10 total slots.
- Cybernetics | 10 slots* — modifications that improve your stats and empower you to do superhuman things at the cost of your Humanity. The more you chrome up, the riskier you are in an op if you don't take measures to mentally stabilize yourself.
§2 How Stats Work
Stats are grouped under 8 umbrella categories: Intelligence, Movement, Cool, Technical, Body, Tactical, Social, and Reflexes. Each category encompasses four stats that relate to its theme. As you progress, you can invest points to improve these individual stats but you cannot directly increase the categories themselves.
Tap any sub-stat below to expand its full dossier entry.
01 Intelligence INT
Intelligence measures cognition, learning, reasoning, and mental discipline. This governs how well a character understands information, retains knowledge, applies thought under pressure, and solves problems through analysis.
Memory MEM
What it is: The ability to accurately retain and recall information.
Used for: Memory checks for names, faces, locations, facts, patterns, instructions, codes, prior events, etc.
Represents: Mental storage, recall speed, and how dependable a character's mind is when details matter.
Will WILL
What it is: Mental resolve and the ability to resist pressure, fear, coercion, or distraction.
Used for: Willpower checks to resist negative effects such as Fear and Intrigue.
Represents: Inner discipline, determination, and strength of mind.
Aid AID
What it is: Practical knowledge of stabilizing, treating, and assisting others in the field.
Used for: Determining the effectiveness of your first-aid efforts to heal yourself and other characters.
Represents: Calm medical competence, responsiveness, and hands-on care under pressure.
Research RES
What it is: The ability to locate, organize, interpret, and connect useful information.
Used for: Research checks to determine the quality and depth of information you acquire when researching something, e.g. a database.
Represents: Curiosity, methodical thinking, and the talent for turning scattered information into answers.
02 Movement MOV
Movement measures mobility, control of motion, and environmental traversal. This governs how well a character moves through space, crosses obstacles, avoids detection through motion, and handles difficult terrain.
Speed SPD
What it is: Raw movement pace and acceleration.
Used for: Determining how far you can move by default and when sprinting / dashing (3 + SPD).
Represents: Fast-twitch mobility and the ability to move with urgency.
Vault VALT
What it is: Skill in clearing, climbing, and passing over physical obstacles fluidly.
Used for: Vault checks are made after jumping to or from a high spot or when crossing gaps to avoid injury. Used to Maneuver; important for combat.
Represents: Physical coordination, momentum control, and confidence in motion.
Stealth STLH
What it is: The ability to move quietly and remain unnoticed.
Used for: Sneaking, shadowing targets, avoiding patrols, hiding movement, and infiltrating guarded spaces.
Represents: Controlled motion, patience, and awareness of sightlines and sound.
Swim SWIM
What it is: Capability in water movement, buoyancy control, and aquatic survival.
Used for: Determining how fast you can move in liquids.
Represents: Water confidence, breath control, and physical adaptability in hostile terrain.
03 Cool COOL
Cool measures composure, charm, style, and confidence under social pressure. This governs how well a character presents themselves, influences others through presence, and maintains poise when attention is on them.
Luck LUCK
What it is: It's not entirely clear what Luck is, but there are times when it seems the universe is smiling or frowning down upon a character.
Used for: Tarot mechanics and with certain abilities.
Represents: Good luck, bad luck, and anything in between.
Guile GILE
What it is: Cunning deception and the ability to mislead convincingly.
Used for: Deceiving NPCs; can work on players if agreed upon.
Represents: Craftiness, strategic dishonesty, and social sleight of hand.
Performance PRFM
What it is: Skill at entertaining, presenting, or commanding an audience.
Used for: Demonstrating familiarity and skill with a profession, e.g. pretending to be a construction worker.
Represents: Showmanship, timing, and the ability to hold attention.
Thievery TVRY
What it is: Precision manual skill used for illicit or covert physical tasks.
Used for: Pickpocketing, lockpicking, bypassing simple security, planting items, and disarming traps.
Represents: Fine motor control, nimble fingers, and practiced dishonesty.
04 Technical TECH
Technical measures applied knowledge of machines, systems, and engineered solutions. This governs how well a character interacts with hardware, digital environments, tools, and constructed systems.
Quickrunning QICK
What it is: Rapid, surface-level intrusion into nearby or accessible systems.
Used for: Slinging quickhacks in an offensive or defensive manner.
Represents: Speed, improvisation, and tactical hacking in live situations.
Deeprunning DEEP
What it is: Advanced intrusion, system manipulation, and layered digital analysis.
Used for: Breaking into networks themselves. Taking control over building security and surveillance measures.
Represents: Technical depth, patience, and mastery of hostile digital architecture.
Mechanics MECH
What it is: The ability to understand, repair, modify, and build physical machinery.
Used for: Repairing (healing) mechanical entities and equipment.
Represents: Practical engineering knowledge and hands-on technical competence.
Design DESN
What it is: Skill in planning, drafting, optimizing, and inventing technical solutions.
Used for: Designing tools and equipment, whether on the fly or in a proper design lab setting.
Represents: Creativity, systems thinking, and the ability to turn an idea into a functional construct.
05 Body BODY
Body measures physical power, stamina, toughness, and exertion. This governs how well a character withstands strain, applies force, and continues functioning under physical stress.
Endurance ENDR
What it is: Long-term physical stamina and resistance to exhaustion.
Used for: Affects action economy on and off your turn. Important for combat.
Represents: Cardiovascular stamina, pacing, and durability through prolonged action.
Strength STR
What it is: Raw muscular force.
Used for: Contests that allow you to overpower foes or resist being overpowered yourself. Used for Blocking, and important for combat. Outside of combat this is useful for moving obstacles.
Represents: Physical power and ability to impose force on the environment or other people.
Resilience RSIL
What it is: Physical toughness and the ability to absorb punishment without failing.
Used for: Determining how well you mitigate damage or hostile conditions.
Represents: Hardiness, grit, and the body's refusal to give out.
Athletics ATH
What it is: General physical training, conditioning, and coordinated whole-body effort.
Used for: Skills & demonstration of physical capability.
Represents: Broad physical competence and trained body control.
06 Tactical TACT
Tactical measures awareness, fieldcraft, deduction, and practical survival intelligence. This governs how well a character reads situations, notices threats, follows leads, and understands the world on the street or in the field.
Tracking TRCK
What it is: The ability to follow signs of movement, behavior, or passage.
Used for: Locating a target once you are aware of their presence / evidence of their presence.
Represents: Patience, environmental awareness, and practical hunter's sense.
Investigation INV
What it is: Methodical examination of evidence, scenes, and inconsistencies.
Used for: Locating evidence of a target's presence.
Represents: Deduction, attention to detail, and disciplined problem-solving.
Perception PERC
What it is: Immediate sensory awareness of what is present, hidden, or out of place.
Used for: Spotting danger in your surroundings, e.g. a claymore tucked into a corner or an object out of place.
Represents: Alertness, sensory sharpness, and active awareness of the environment.
Streetwise STWS
What it is: Knowledge of urban culture, criminal ecosystems, local habits, and informal power structures.
Used for: An innate sense when dealing with others on the streets. While Insight covers a single person's feelings, Streetwise allows you to understand street level politics.
Represents: Survival knowledge, social mapping, and practical understanding of life on the ground.
07 Social SOC
Social measures emotional leverage, interpersonal reading, and relational influence. This governs how well a character manipulates, interprets, pressures, or supports other people in direct interaction.
Intimidation INTM
What it is: The ability to pressure others through fear, menace, dominance, or implied threat.
Used for: Inducing Fear in your opponents and for winning Face-Offs.
Represents: Presence, aggression, and willingness to weaponize fear.
Persuasion PERS
What it is: The ability to convince others through logic, charm, credibility, or negotiation.
Used for: Negotiating with NPCs, or players, if willing.
Represents: Social confidence, verbal skill, and control over tone and presentation.
Insight ISGT
What it is: The ability to understand what others feel, want, fear, or hide.
Used for: Reading a person's expressions and feelings to get a sense of what they're thinking. Insight can be tricked if it's not well-trained.
Represents: Emotional intelligence, perception of intent, and interpersonal intuition.
Seduction SDUC
What it is: The ability to attract, entice, or disarm others through intimacy, allure, or chemistry.
Used for: Inducing Intrigue into your target(s). Seduction comes in many forms but overall is used to disarm your targets' senses.
Represents: Erotic charisma, emotional reading, and confidence in one-on-one influence.
08 Reflexes REF
Reflexes measure reaction speed, body coordination, split-second response, and instinctive action. This governs how well a character reacts under pressure, performs precise motion, and handles danger without hesitation.
Acrobatics ACRO
What it is: Advanced balance, aerial control, flexibility, and complex body movement.
Used for: Skills and Techniques; Acrobatics checks are used to help you maneuver around and to Evade hits. Important for combat.
Represents: Coordination, agility, and mastery of dynamic motion.
Finesse FIN
What it is: Skill in delicate handwork, misdirection, and subtle object manipulation, especially when performed smoothly or unnoticed.
Used for: Stealing objects, whether from a shelf, crate, or person, without being noticed.
Represents: Manual precision, timing, showy control, and the ability to make deception look effortless.
Reaction RACT
What it is: Raw speed of physical response to sudden danger or change.
Used for: All forms of Reactions to attacks. Very important for combat.
Represents: Reflex timing, nervous system speed, split-second readiness, and instinctive physical response.
Steady STDY
What it is: Controlled physical stability, including breath, posture, and fine bodily restraint under pressure.
Used for: Aiming ranged weapons. Important for combat.
Represents: Breath discipline, bodily control, physical composure, and precision through stability.