Facets (WIP)

EErywin

Facets

A skills & background replacement for Nimble.

Facets describe who your hero is. This includes where they were born, what they did before adventuring, who raised them, or a trade they once kept. Each Facet is just a word or short phrase, like Raised in the Wild or Ex-City Guard. Whenever you tell the GM what you are doing, a Facet that fits can sharpen the attempt. Facets replace skills and backgrounds entirely. Your stats, ancestry, and class work exactly as written.

Facet Checks

When you want to affect the world (talk your way past a guard, track a wounded beast, haggle down a price, etc.), the GM names the stat the task calls for: roll 1d20 + stat + Facet, if one fits, against the DC. The maximum bonus a Facet can have is +7.

  • Only one Facet's bonus applies to any single roll.
  • The GM decides whether a Facet fits the task. They also decide which stat applies.

> Describe yourself, not your sheet. A Facet is whatever you say it is — a homeland, a former trade, a hard-won name. "As someone Raised in the Wild, I forage us something to eat" tells the GM far more than "I roll Naturecraft." A broad Facet fits more often. But a hero with only one broad Facet will roll without a Facet added for everything else.

Awakening Facets

You may awaken a Facet that fits to roll with advantage. You can't awaken the same Facet again until your next Safe Rest.

You may awaken more than one Facet on the same roll. Each one must be different, and each must fit.

Creating Facets

At level 1, choose 4 Facets at +1, plus 1 free upbringing Facet at +1. You can raise Facets from those 4 as you make them instead.

Example. Try two at +2, one at +4, or any split of your 4 points. Fewer Facets mean a bigger bonus. More Facets mean broader coverage. Up to you!

Your upbringing Facet reflects how you were raised. This doesn't need to match your kin — an Elf raised among Dwarves may choose a Dwarven Facet. Your ancestry's bonuses stay the same (see Converting the Rules, below).

> Raised by another? Your upbringing Facet can reflect the folk who raised you, not your own kin. You keep your ancestry's bonuses. The Facet shapes who you became.

Gaining Facets

Each time you level up, gain 1 Facet point. Spend it to choose a new Facet, or raise an existing one (to a maximum of +7).

  • Both are earned in play. A new Facet needs something to point to — an adventure or downtime moment both count. Raising one just means you've kept using it.
  • You may also move 1 point from one Facet to another as your hero's priorities shift. A Facet can't drop below +1, and you can't use this to choose a new Facet.

Converting the Rules

Some Core Rules text still uses the old terms. Read it like this:

Skill checks. Some rules call for a skill check, or name a specific skill (like "a DC 10 Stealth check"). Read these as Facet checks instead.

Backgrounds. Facets replace the background choice in Step 2 of Making A Hero.

Ancestry features. Some ancestry features give a flat bonus to a skill. Read those like this:

  • A bonus to a specific skill becomes a bonus to rolls of that kind (e.g., +1 Stealth becomes +1 to moving unseen).
  • A bonus to all skills becomes a bonus to all Facet checks.
  • A bonus you can move between skills becomes a bonus you can move between Facets.

Everything else — Hit Dice, Speed, saves, once-per-Safe Rest abilities, and the like — stays the same.

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Facets is an independent product published under the Nimble 3rd Party Creator License and is not affiliated with Nimble Co. Nimble © 2025 Nimble Co.

Replaces

Skill Checks

When you want to affect the world (convince an NPC, spot a trap, pick a lock, etc.), the GM may call for a skill check. Roll and add your skill (the max bonus a skill can ever have is +12). If the total meets or exceeds the Difficulty Challenge (DC), you succeed; otherwise, you fail. A roll of 1 always fails regardless of any other bonuses, while a roll of 20 always succeeds. The DC varies based on the task:

  • Easy: Spotting a large Ogre crouched behind a small bush might be a DC 8 Perception check.
  • Medium: A hidden doorway behind a bookcase might be a DC 12 Examination check.
  • Challenging: Calming an injured Owlbear stuck in a trap may be a DC 15 Naturecraft check.
  • Very Difficult: Intuiting the true intentions of a trained Spy may be a DC 18 Insight check.
  • Extremely Difficult: Disarming an ancient legendary trap may be a DC 20+ Finesse check.
Skills

Skills gauge how well your hero interacts with the world. Whenever you tell the GM what you are doing, they may ask you to use one of your skills.

The maximum bonus a skill can have is +12.

Arcana (INT)

Understanding of magical phenomena, spells, and enchantments. With Arcana, you can identify magical effects, decipher arcane symbols, and discern the properties of magical items. It also grants insights into the abilities and weaknesses of magical beings like Aberrations, Elementals, and Oozes.

Examination (INT)

Aptitude for thorough analysis and deduction. Use Examination to diagnose injuries, determine causes of death, uncover clues, and unravel the workings of traps or mechanical devices. It also grants insights into the abilities and weaknesses of Constructs.

Finesse (DEX)

The ability to use your hands and feet in careful ways. Use Finesse for activities such as picking locks, disarming traps, piloting vehicles, tinkering, card tricks, stealing or planting items, climbing a mossy wall, or any other task that requires precise, careful movement.

Influence (WIL)

Your persuasiveness, charm, and ability to influence others through charisma or cunning. Use Influence to convince or deceive people, negotiate deals, build trust, win allies to your cause, or put on a captivating performance.

Insight (WIL)

Your ability to understand people and situations beyond the obvious. Use Insight to sense motives, detect lies, read hidden emotions, make sense of clues, and when faced with uncertainty—you can think ahead or just “get” what is happening. Insight can be used to retroactively change situations:

Insight Example Player: “Oh no! I forgot to buy rope back in town!” GM: “Give me an Insight check; maybe your hero would have thought about it.”

Lore (INT)

Understanding of the history of civilization, kingdoms, and religions. Use Lore to recall historical events and grasp the significance of cultural practices. It extends to knowledge of the abilities and behavior of Celestials, Dragons, Fey, Fiends, Giants, Humanoids, and Undead.

Might (STR)

Your ability to apply strength effectively. Use Might for lifting heavy objects, breaking through obstacles, climbing, swimming, jumping, or performing feats of strength.

Naturecraft (WIL)

Your expertise in wilderness survival, navigation, tracking, and the handling of animals. Use Naturecraft to thrive in the wild, identify flora, fauna, and track creatures with precision. It encompasses knowledge of Beasts, Monstrosities, and Plants, providing insights into their behavior, habitats, and characteristics.

Perception (WIL)

Your overall ability to notice subtle details in your surroundings. Use Perception to spot hidden objects, detect secret passages, sense subtle environmental changes, and sense when you’re being followed or observed. It encompasses your ability to pick up on non-obvious cues, and hidden threats.

Stealth (DEX)

Your proficiency in staying unseen and moving quietly. Use Stealth to hide, slip past guards, evade detection, and move without drawing attention.