In Chromatic, action rolls resolve conflict and action dice are modified by characteristics (attributes, skills, features, drives) according to the chromatics governing those characteristics, so characteristics are a basic aspect of Chromatic.
Key to this is that attributes, skills, and features can overlap in their effect on action rolls when they express the same chromatics.
Moreover, some characteristics are represented as both attributes and skills, both attributes and features, or both features and skills. For example, in a fantasy setting the ability to Change Shape can be an innate magical attribute or a learned magical skill.
This changes the way characters and equipment might express characteristics. Attributes are innate to characters, features innate to equipment. Skills, on the other hand, are learned by characters, including sentient equipment. But, when it comes to action rolls, characteristics have the same effect: they either add bonuses or subtract penalties. So, whether it’s an attribute or a skill, the Change Shape characteristic has the same effect on action rolls.
Read on for specifics about attributes, skills, and features!