DCC/Clarifications

Keeping track of Score changes

 * This is a clarification, not a rule change.

Characters have two values for each ability score.


 * Your permanent or maximum score. Despite the name, this *can* change, but only in rare and exceptional cases. The minimum permanent score is 3 and the maximum permanent score is 18. If you would gain points above 18, they manifest as temporary points. In other words, your current score can be 19 or higher even though your permanent score is only 18. While your modifier goes no higher than +3, this is useful since you keep that +3 even if you lose a point or two. Such a current score lasts as long as it lasts.
 * Your temporary or current score. When you burn ability points or take ability damage, your current score sinks below your maximum score. When you reach 0, bad things happen (see Ability Loss, page 96). When you heal back up, you regain ability points up to your maximum but no higher.

Exception: Luck

 * For most classes, you only have the one Luck score. When you burn Luck points, your score is lowered. In the rare case the Judge rewards you Luck points, your score is increased. You do not keep track of a temporary score since there is no Luck healing.
 * Thieves and Raiders do track maximum and current Luck just like for the other scores, since they do heal Luck damage and burned Luck points. If the Judge rewards you Luck points and this would take you over your permanent maximum, not only do these points manifest as temporary points above your maximum, your maximum does increase by 1 (up to 18).

Luck and the Spell Check

 * This is a clarification, not a rule change.

Page 106 of the rulebook is clumsily written. When it talks about the "Luck modifier" it meant to discuss the possible modifier from a Birth Augur.

Spellcasters do not generally get to add their Luck modifier to spell checks.

There are exceptions; like how the Cultist gets to add it to a single spell, and the Shaman adding it to Turn Unholy checks.