The E.N.I.G.M.A. System
To understand Capacities, keep the acronym E.N.I.G.M.A. in mind. Your Capacities are Endure - Navigate - Influence - Glean - Manifest - Attack.
Endure: A character's ability to withstand physical and psychological stress is essential for surviving combat, extreme weather, or any problematic situation. This capacity reflects the strength and determination needed to keep going, which is crucial for those facing the unknown.
Navigate: A character's skill in effectively maneuvering through various environments and situations. This capacity is essential for exploration, overcoming obstacles, and achieving goals in diverse terrains, whether in urban ruins or wild frontiers.
Influence: A character’s talent for persuading others through charisma, reasoning, or deception is crucial in diplomacy, negotiation, and leadership. This capacity showcases a character's skill in verbal communication and social manipulation.
Glean: A character's knack for gathering information from various sources, whether through observation, analysis, or interaction. This capacity is essential for understanding complex situations, uncovering secrets, or deducing an adversary's motives.
Manifest: A character's flair for using magic to manipulate reality is central to Enigma's Arcanepunk essence. This capacity enables characters to exceed the limitations of the natural world and shape their surroundings through sheer will.
Attack: A character's prowess for martial combat. This capacity determines lethality with melee and ranged attacks and is crucial for martial combat.
As a Game Master, you should call for the relevant capacity check in the following situation:
Endure: Invoke an Endure check to assess characters' fortitude against melee attacks, physical harm, psychological stress, or environmental challenges. This check evaluates how well characters handle adversity and maintain composure under pressure.
Navigate: Request a Navigate check when characters must avoid a ranged attack, find their way, evade detection, or overcome geographical obstacles. This check is crucial for depicting the complexities of movement within the game world.
Influence: Call for an Influence check during interactions that hinge on persuasion, deception, or command. Use it to determine the outcome of social encounters and the character's impact on others.
Glean: Propose a Glean check when characters attempt to decipher mysteries, read social cues, or acquire crucial knowledge. This capacity is integral to an investigation, puzzle-solving, and recalling lore.
Manifest: Initiate a Manifest check for characters who wield magical or technological forces. It's crucial for spellcasting, technological manipulation, or any endeavor that defies reality's rules.
Attack: Initiate an Attack check to determine the outcomes of physical engagements, ranging from individual combat to more significant skirmishes. This check assesses a character's success in executing offensive tactics and defensive postures, serving as Enigma's cornerstone for combat resolution. You may also call for an Attack check when a player wants to take offensive actions that aren’t necessarily attacking with a weapon, such as grappling or shoving.