Are attributes ever rolled?

Question

I've been poring over Savage Worlds Deluxe trying to figure out what types of situations require an Attribute roll instead of a Skill roll, and I can't quite figure it out.

Answer 1

The collective term used to describe both Attributes and Skills is Traits (defined in the Character Creation section at the beginning of the core rules). Both Attributes and Skills are rolled for in the same way, and the Savage Worlds core rules collectively refers to these types of rolls as Trait Tests.

The opening paragraph under Trait Test in the Game Rules section confirms this, and the example used demonstrates that Attributes such as Strength are supposed to be rolled for

To use an attribute or skill, simply roll the die assigned to it. If the result is a 4 or better (the "Target Number" or TN), the action is successful. For example, if a character's Strength is a d6, he rolls a six-sided die. On a 4 or better, he is successful.

There are a various situations where an Attribute needs to be rolled for as a Trait Test, and these are scattered through the rule book. Examples include:

• Soak rolls to avoid taking damage (Vigor)
• Common Knowledge rolls (Smarts)
• Agility tricks (Agility)
• Jumping (Strength)
• Recovering from being Shaken (Spirit)

Answer 2

Phil's answer is correct, and to add: when you need to roll something that you don't have a specific skill for, you're supposed to roll the most relevant Attribute. Like, if a character needs to make a "have you heard of this random historical event" check, they roll Smarts (maybe at a -2 or something). If someone needs to make a "can you bend well enough to get through this tiny crevice or cave entrance" check, they roll Agility.

That way, some characters can fail and some can succeed, adding drama and chance to the encounter, but without the tedium of needing to invest points in "local history" or "contortionism" skills.