The System Profile
The System Profile is StoryRig's canonical configuration record for stats, result thresholds, Position and Effect language, consequence palette, and growth.
A character references one System Profile. Its visible rating rows are derived from that profile, so changing the roster changes what the character sheet expects without hardcoding six named ability fields into every Character.
Stats need stable keys
Each stat has a stable key, display name, and description. Use short lowercase keys that will survive presentation changes. If you rename “Presence” to “Heart” but its mechanical role remains the same, you can keep the key presence. If you replace the concept entirely, use a new key and migrate character ratings explicitly.
The description should answer what kinds of approaches the stat covers. Avoid descriptions that define professions or whole outcomes. A stat called “Magic” is usually too broad if it decides every magical action regardless of method.
Keep thresholds boring
StoryRig defaults to 10+ strong, 7–9 mixed, and 6− setback. Changing those thresholds changes the probability of every rolling Move, so treat it as a system-level change rather than a routine reskin.
With the default thresholds, the curve is:
| Rating | Strong Hit | Mixed Hit | Setback | Any Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -1 | 8.3% | 33.3% | 58.3% | 41.7% |
| +0 | 16.7% | 41.7% | 41.7% | 58.3% |
| +1 | 27.8% | 44.4% | 27.8% | 72.2% |
| +2 | 41.7% | 41.7% | 16.7% | 83.3% |
| +3 | 58.3% | 33.3% | 8.3% | 91.7% |
With the default spread, +2 succeeds 83.3% of the time while +0 succeeds 58.3%, and mixed hits remain common. Raising the normal ceiling to +3 or higher makes setbacks rare and produces a much more heroic game. Use that shift on purpose rather than letting it arrive through advancement creep.
Position and Effect are language
The default three-step ladders are Controlled/Risky/Desperate and Limited/Standard/Great. You may rename them to match genre voice, but preserve their jobs: one describes consequence severity, the other describes potential impact.
Consequence palette
Keep the consequence palette short and genre-specific. One family should cover many related mishaps; do not encode every possible problem as a separate row.
Growth
Use Marks for lightweight advancement, Milestones when advancement happens at explicit milestones, and None for one-shots, static characters, or worlds where advancement lives entirely in external state.
Resource tracks
Use the profile's optional Resource Tracks for recurring values such as Hunger, Stress, Mana, or Favor. Define a stable key, display name, range, starting value, and the fiction that changes or resets it. The Character sheet automatically renders each configured track and stores only that character's current value.
Do not create a resource merely because a number could exist. Use Conditions for durable qualitative states, inventory quantities for countable items, Threat clocks for external problems, and Resource Tracks for recurring personal or party-facing currencies whose current value matters across scenes.