Editing Scratch:Basic Rules (section)

===Abilities===
 
Characters typically have between three and six abilities. All characters have toughness, most have at least one attack ability, and many have a defensive ability.

Characters may be created by distributing ''character points'' (CP) between 1 or more abilities. Each CP gives the character one ''ability level'' of that ability. No ability can receive more levels than a certain ''maximum level''. The characters in the combat example which follows the list of abilities below were created with 10 CP and a maximum level of 4. These are good limits for making characters that are like average people. Chokestar was created by distributing 2 CP to piloting ability, 2 CP to toughness ability, 3 CP to wrestling ability and 3 CP to stalking ability, for a total of 10 ability levels, and no more than 4 levels of any single ability.

Maximum level limit requires a character to divide his ability levels between a variety of abilities instead of putting all of his levels into a single ability. For example, in a game where characters are slightly more powerful than the average person, they might start with 12 CP and a maximum level limit of 5. Characters in this game would have to divide their CP between at least three abilities.

Appropriate abilities, CP and maximum levels for new characters depend on the setting and type of character being created. Scratch RPS abilities can be loosely interpreted or adapted to a wide variety of settings and types of characters. For example, shooting could be used with guns, bows, other ranged weapons or magic powers. See [[Scratch:Example Characters]] for more examples.