-separation of combat and exploration: all players contribute equally in combat and equally out of combat
-every player at the table has a variety of interesting options
-tactical combat that is both straightforward and deep
-skill system that includes degrees of success (is not just a binary pass/fail)
-characters contribute differently, but every character can always contribute
-five basic ability scores: Strength, Agility, Wisdom, Perception, Poise
-ability scores are purely exploration and non-combat
-Backgrounds determine which skills can be chosen as trained, everyone chooses three trained skills
-Power Source adds a bonus skill (Arcane = Arcana, Divine = Religion, Martial = Athletics)
-Power Source determines the power mechanics
-Martial = stances + the ability to enhance attacks on a per-scene basis (Power Strike) with an enhanced effect depending on the current stance
-Divine = Prayers, which accumulate Faith Points, and Acts, which consume Faith Points to activate
-Arcane = cast times: big powers (Spells) take multiple rounds to cast, each time a Spell is used in a Chapter, subsequent uses of the same Spell take a round longer to cast
-Primal = Anima points: a per-Scene pool used to enhance At-Will powers by spending points
-powers are defined by Tier (Heroic, Epic, Legendary) rather than by level
-characters expand both laterally (choosing new powers appropriate to the tier) and vertically (gaining new class features)
