The third week of every month, we offer a look at rules and gameplay considerations in The Broken Hourglass. This month's entry discusses the choice between buying primary attributes versus secondary skills. 

Every playable character in The Broken Hourglass earns experience points which are spent on character traits and abilities. Although the level-path system can be used to automatically spend approximately two-thirds of a character's points, players always have an opportunity to make important decisions about buying new abilities, statistics, and special capabilities.

But which is the better buy—the four primary attributes (Strength, Agility, Toughness, and Judgment) or the 30-odd skills and abilities which govern everything from magical defense to round-table diplomacy?

Primary attributes at first blush seem to be the slam-dunk best choice. After all, each primary attribute conveys bonuses to a number of secondary attributes, providing good return on a character's experience point investment. As a result, buying primary attribute points "moves the needle" on a number of important characteristics all at once. Purchasing points in Judgment leads not only to better social skills, but more mana as well.

Consider, however, that relatively few statistical checks key directly on a primary attribute's score. Most combat, spellcasting, and diplomatic checks are done against specific, secondary skills, and buying one point in Strength does not equate to one point in hand-to-hand combat proficiency.

Invest in secondary skills, then? To be sure, some are less expensive than the primary attributes, and allow characters to specialize directly in a few key spots. A dedicated archer could do better in the long run stocking up on Bow Precision than they would simply buying lots of Agility. And even more importantly, some secondary skills and abilities, such as the five magical skills, plus Luck and Stealth, have no parent attribute whatsoever—if you wish to improve in one of those abilities, you must buy the points directly.

The choice and flexibility of the secondary stats can create a false economy to the unwary, however. Spread those points too thin across too many different stats, and you may find that you would have done better just investing in primary, parent attributes.

Most level paths use a blend of primary and secondary attributes, with the secondary attributes chosen providing the focus or flavor for the path. Players employing fully free point buy for the protagonist can experiment with the blend that is right for their character concept, while those using level paths can vary between spending leftover points on just one or two primary attributes, versus distributing those points into secondary skills—including those which have nothing to do with the path at all.

A third (more specialized and limited) option is to obtain point bonuses through the purchase of character traits. A handful of traits offer one-time bonuses to skills and attributes at a discounted rate—typically either upon character creation only, or when certain prerequisites are satisfied. For instance, the Intimidate trait entitles a character with high Strength to make a one-time discounted purchase of a block of Manipulation skill—implying that the character literally flexes his or her muscles in order to steer someone to a new way of thinking.

There is no single solution to answer the many opportunities afforded by a point-buy system. Level paths provide a good model, but are by no means the definitive or authoritative formula for developing a certain character profile. Such dilemmas are the stuff a healthy nose for variety and investigation, and a generous library of saved games, were made for.