Vigilance reflects your active awareness—your ability to stay alert, scan for danger, and spot threats before they strike. Perception covers what you notice while distracted or going about your business, Vigilance applies when you are actively watching, listening, or preparing for danger. Whether standing guard, scouting ahead, or moving through hostile ground with caution, Vigilance determines whether you detect trouble in time to react effectively.
When You Use It:
Vigilance applies when:
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Actively watching for enemies or hidden dangers while on guard
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Scouting dangerous territory and scanning for ambushes or traps
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Remaining alert during exploration of hostile or unknown areas
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Guarding camp or patrolling with deliberate focus
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Monitoring your surroundings in tense social or combat situations
Stat Used:
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Always Mind.
Active vs. Passive Distinction:
Vigilance represents deliberate and focused awareness. It answers “Do I spot the danger before it strikes?”
If you are simply moving, resting, or distracted, use Perception instead to determine whether you notice something incidentally.
Mechanical Effects:
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Success:
You detect hidden or incoming threats in time to react. -
Critical Success (01):
You spot the danger early and may gain extra tactical benefits—such as knowing enemy numbers or positions (GM discretion). -
Failure:
You remain unaware until the threat is much closer or the encounter begins. -
Critical Failure (00):
You overlook the danger entirely, possibly leaving yourself or your allies vulnerable to surprise.
Situational Modifiers:
Apply the Difficulty Ladder based on visibility, distractions, and enemy concealment:
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+50%: Perfect conditions, full daylight, stationary watching
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+40%: Calm environment, no distractions, clear view
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+30%: Light cover or distance, but actively scanning
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+20%: Watching in moderate conditions or mild distraction
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+10%: Poor lighting or background noise
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0%: Typical alertness in average conditions
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–10%: Low light, partial cover, moderate environmental interference
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–20%: Heavy cover, poor visibility, or noisy surroundings
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–30%: Magical interference or complex camouflage
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–40%: Extreme environmental or magical concealment
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–50%: Total obscuration or perfect ambush
Untrained Use:
Anyone may attempt Vigilance using their full Mind %, though untrained characters may struggle with subtle cues and complex tactical awareness. They may not gain full benefits on a success at the GM’s discretion.
Narrative Examples:
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A ranger pauses, scanning the treeline, and spots glinting steel just before an ambush.
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A sentry standing watch hears faint movement approaching in the night.
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A scout moving through ruins spots tripwires stretched across a collapsed hallway.
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A paranoid sorcerer keeps her eyes on the quiet crowd, spotting an assassin drawing a blade.
Player Note:
Vigilance is used when you are on alert and expecting danger. Success can reveal threats up to one minute (six rounds) before they close to melee or trigger encounters, giving you and your allies time to prepare or react. Perception only provides one round (about ten seconds) of warning. If you want to avoid being caught flat-footed, Vigilance is essential when traveling hostile lands, scouting, or preparing for ambushes.
GM Note:
Vigilance represents the party’s readiness in dangerous situations. Use it anytime they are reasonably alert, even if they do not explicitly declare that they are watching. Successful Vigilance rolls offer significant tactical advantages, including early detection of enemies, hazard avoidance, and improved battlefield positioning.
However, these rules should never override story sense. Use judgment.
For example, when traveling in hostile wilderness or exploring open ruins, Vigilance may detect approaching enemies up to one minute (six rounds) before they reach melee range. This allows ample time to prepare or avoid danger.
In tighter, enclosed environments—such as dungeon corridors or city streets—threats may naturally be much closer. Early warning may be limited to subtle clues (whispers, faint scraping sounds, shifting shadows) detected through Perception, not Vigilance. If enemies are behind a closed door or ambushing from concealment just beyond a corner, it is entirely appropriate for characters to get little or no advance notice, depending on their approach and awareness.
Vigilance offers a tactical edge, but always let the environment and story dictate when and how much warning is realistic.
Optional Rule — Awareness Synergy
If a character has trained in both Vigilance and Perception, they gain a subtle edge. On a failed check with one, they may immediately roll the other at a –10% penalty to attempt detection. This bonus roll only applies if both skills could logically reveal the threat.
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File Created: 05/01/2025 Last Modified: 05/01/2025