The character build process is quite heavy (point buy for everything), and I hate dice pool mechanics, but the combination of one attribute like strength with one skill like brawl for every task is pretty elegant (and I ripped it off for my very D&D-like Blackwater Falls game way back when). The division of attributes into physical (strength, dexterity, stamina); social (charisma, manipulation, appearance); and mental (perception, intelligence, wits) is also slick.

In more recent news, check this out:

http://www.montecookgames.com/stats-and-training-in-numenera/

I forgot it also has an array you can apply either by players choice or buy role.

The secondary ones are determined by adding together the Primary Attribute alongside the racial bonus. Sometimes you get misc bonuses to them as well.

Some races synergize well with a given role and as such gain role bonuses. Such as a Werewolf gaining a bonus to CON and HON if they take Warrior as their role or bonuses to WIS and Bravery if the take the Adept/Shaman role.

Also their destiny can effect their attributes as well.

As I was saying. It focuses on using your abilities to explore and fight. With the player providing the role-playing. As it has NO roleplayong based skills. E.G. it doesn’t have a Diplomacy skill.

The 3 primary attributes and their corresponding secondary attributes are:

Body: the power of ones physical form.
-Strength: ones abilty to perform acts of a physical nature.
-Dexterity: ones nimbleness and agility as well as their hand-eye coordination.
-Constitution: Ones ability to resist pain, fatigue, and sickness.

Mind: the power of ones mind.
-Intellect: ones intelligence.
-Wisdom: ones common sense.
-Charisma: ones force of personality.

Spirit: the power of ones soul.
-Honor: ones sense of duty and loyalty.
-Bravery: ones ability to stand when others would cower.
-Faith: ones belief in others and in themself.

The primary attributes are determined using a basic dice pool, dice rolling or just a very easy point-buy

I like the concept of gaining Experience and leveling up to increase basic abilities or class abilities then spending said Experience to upgrade the other.

Such as the Lost Girl inspired system I mentioned. When you level up your Stats/Attributes increased based on your role(class). And then based on your level you gain an amount of Evolution Points to buy or upgrade abilities granted by your race. Such as a werewolf warrior upgrading their scent and hearing abilities effectiveness (upgrading their racial bonus to a group of skills) while Also buying the sub-ability of their shifting racial trait to gain claw and bite weapons outside of their wolf form.

Anyway back to stats the Lost Girl based system has 3 primary with 9 secondary. Each primary system has 3 secondary traits based on it. You can roll or use a point buy system. The game assumes rolling and uses d%.

I’ve been meaning to check out CoC. I’ll make a point of it, thanks!