Storytelling System

The Storytelling System is the ruleset published by White Wolf for use in the Chronicles of Darkness (formerly the "New" World of Darkness). Key characteristics are character traits rated using dots, including nine Attributes, 24 Skills, Willpower and Morality; several numerical derived traits, including Speed, Size and Initiative; Health Levels for tracking a character's physical well-being; and the use of dice pools of d10s for conflict resolution.

History

The Storytelling System is based on the Storyteller System, using the experience of its thirteen-year history to create a substantially different, streamlined set of rules. It also draws on several features developed for the Revised Storyteller System. It was first published as the CofD: World of Darkness: Storytelling System Rulebook in 2004, and so far only Chronicles of Darkness games have used the system (Scion uses a modified version of the Revised Storyteller System based largely on Exalted: Exalted Second Edition ).

Key features new to the Storytelling System

• nearly all save extended actions are resolved with a single roll, including combat actions (which required three or more rolls in earlier systems)
• for simple actions, a single success is always sufficient
• multiple successes are sometimes insignificant unless five or more are scored, which leads to an exceptional success
• difficulties are represented by subtracting dice from a pool (as opposed to the varying target numbers in the Storyteller System, and requiring additional successes in the Revised Storyteller System); bonuses are likewise represented by adding dice
• the target number for all rolls is fixed at 8 (fixed target numbers were introduced in the Revised Storyteller System, but were usually fixed at 7)
• the "rule of ones" has been eliminated, along with the old botch system; instead new Chance Roll and dramatic failure rules are used when resolving actions under severe difficulty
• Attributes and Skills use the same categories (Physical, Mental, Social); each category contains a Power, Finesse and Resistance Attribute
• the Attributes have been changed for the first time; Charisma has been renamed Presence, while Perception and Appearance have been replaced by Resolve and Composure (the Mental and Social Resistance Attributes)
• some common actions, like perception rolls, use dice pools composed only of Attributes, rather than the usual Attribute + Skill
• supernatural powers often use three Attributes to form their dice pools, for example Attribute + Skill + Discipline

Revised Storytelling System

In 2012, The God-Machine Chronicle presented an update to the Storytelling System, effectively creating a second edition of the system; this update was made available by itself as the free God-Machine Rules Update. 2015's Chronicles of Darkness: Revised Storytelling System Rulebook integrated the GMC and the original core rulebook into a revised single-volume core rulebook for the Chronicles of Darkness. New changes to the system include:

• the replacement of experience points (and flaws) with Beats and Experiences
• the expansion of Virtues and Vices into the system of Anchors and Aspirations
• the addition of Conditions and Tilts as general-purpose situational modifiers and status effects
• the replacement of Morality and degeneration with Integrity and breaking points
• new systems for social maneuvering ("social combat"), chases, and investigation
• integration of a number of supplemental Merits and related material into the core rules
• new rules for creating supernatural and ephemeral antagonists, derived from the system presented in Hunter: The Vigil

Other variations

• The Storyteller System, as seen in the Classic World of Darkness and Street Fighter
• The Revised Storyteller System, as seen in the Trinity Universe, Exalted and Scion
• The Mind's Eye Theatre systems, both the original system and the version based on the Storytelling System