Tome of Prowess (3.5e Sourcebook)/Endurance

Endurance

Key Attribute: Constitution

Endurance is a reactive skill, you will only roll it in response to outside stimuli. It allows you to ignore your own physical limits and push on despite aggravated wounds as well as push yourself beyond your endurance limits. Return to Top

Untrained Uses

Continue Exertion

Characters are often portrayed as fonts of energy and youth, but they do get tired and how quickly they get tired depends a lot on what they’re doing. Moving flat-out and running full speed is the least efficient use of your energy and it is also the pace most likely to tire a character out in game. Movement at a different pace reduces to rounds of movement at the flat-out pace for bookkeeping purposes, since we care much more about rounds spent running from a dragon than we do about rounds spent strolling around a garden. Everyone can move flat-out for 1 round per point of constitution, so even those of average constitution can run for at least a minute. Moving at a hustling pace for 1 minute is equivalent to 1 round of running. As most fights happen at this pace, this means that battles lasting longer than 1 minute per point of constitution may be hazardous for characters. Lastly, moving in an unhurried way for 10 minutes is equivalent to 1 round of running. While that doesn’t have much bearing on combat, it does mean that you can walk across the mountains all day, resting for a minute or two every hour, without really wearing yourself out. Exactly like a heroic adventurer should.

Whatever action pace brings you to your limit, characters have to start making checks to see if they become tired once there. This is an endurance skill check, or just a constitution check if the skill is untrained. The base DC for this check is 10 or the DC to traverse the terrain, if it is difficult. Use the highest DC applicable. To that base you add +1 for every 5 points of subdual damage you’ve taken and a +1 penalty for each check you’ve made since you were last completely rested. The results of this check appear in the check result table below.

To become fully rested after an exertion, you must rest for 1 round per round of flat-out action or 1 minute, whichever is less. After the time has passed you are considered fully rested, and you are no longer fatigued if you acquired that condition as a result of these checks. Any subdual damage acquired will need to heal normally and does not heal at all during any hour in which you acquire more of it. If you begin exerting yourself before you have become fully rested, your previous penalty is reduced by 1 point for each round spent resting, but must begin making checks as soon as you have moved the equivalent of 1 round at a flat-out pace with the current penalty.

If you became fatigued during your exertion, you’re done moving faster than a hustle for a while since the condition actually disallows taking any flat-out actions. If you became exhausted during your exertion, it stops you from doing pretty much anything beyond an unhurried pace since it disallows everything except walking. If you acquired the exhausted condition from exertion and these checks, it reduces to fatigued after 10 minutes of rest. While exhausted, time spent resting does not count towards becoming fully rested or reducing the check penalty you’ve build up. If you accrue sufficient subdual damage to lose consciousness, you do not put any time towards eliminating the exhausted or fatigued conditions until you wake up.

Base DC: 10 or difficult surface DC (whichever is greater), +1 for each previous check since you were fully rested
Check Result:

• DC+0 and above: You suffer no effects other than the increased DC of the next check.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer 2 points of subdual damage. In no case can this cause you to suffer more subdual damage than you have hit points. You still suffer the +1 DC increase to your check next round if you continue, in addition to the DC penalty for your subdual damage.
• DC-6 and below: You suffer 4 points of subdual damage and become fatigued, and as such may no longer take any action at the flat-out pace, like the run action. If you were already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If you are immune to fatigue, you become exhausted if you fail this check by this amount twice. The subdual damage caused by this result may bring your total subdual damage over your total current hit points.

Shrug Off Poison

Requires poison rewrite to be worthwhile, and is not included at this time.

Fight Off Disease

Requires disease rewrite to be worthwhile, and is not included at this time.

Rank 1 Uses

Suck It Up

Some hazards and battles will be painful, and that pain can interrupt and ruin an action or drive you closer to death. You can ignore that pain to some degree. As a free action you may attempt to ignore certain types action interrupting pain, such that you suffer no penalty from it for a short time.

The DC for this check depends on what the source of your pain is. The DC to ignore wounds from caltrops and move at full speed is 15. You can take strenuous action at 0 hit points without incurring damage with a DC 20 check. Environments or conditions that inflict damage, like being on fire, may also inflict action denial on you or require that you spend your actions in a turn attempting something specific. You can ignore these demands with a check against DC 15 + the damage dealt by the condition or environment to you this round.

Lastly, you can make a check to stop an injury from interrupting certain action types, like spell casting or lock picking. This check is made immediately before the action would take effect, so either during your turn after spending the action or on the following round immediately before your next turn. For actions that take multiple rounds to complete, this check is made once a round immediately before your turn. The DC is equal to 10 + the total damage taken during your action this round taken this round. If you are attempting an action over multiple rounds this DC resets each round on your turn. Damage from continuous sources, like that from acid arrow, is considered to half occur on your turn and half throughout the rest of the round. Thus, if your ability would occur the same round that you started it in you only add half of any damage this round from continuous sources to the check DC. If your action takes 1 or more full rounds to complete, you instead add the full amount of damage from continuous sources taken that round.

Base DC: Varies, see above
Check Result:

• DC+5 and above: You suffer no effects from your injured condition for up to 1 minute, so long as you don't suffer new conditions. After this time, or when you acquire a new injury condition, you must make checks as normal.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You suffer no effects from your injuries this round. Live it up while you can.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer the full effects of your injured condition this round. Since you probably made this check before you an action took place, you may need to revise your plans.
• DC-6 and below: In addition to suffering the full effects of your injuries this round, you also suffer 1 point of bleeding damage as you reopen wounds accidentally.

Rank 4 Uses

Not… Finished… Yet…

The endurance skill may be used to fight off any lingering effects that would require a Fortitude save. This includes death effects like Finger of Death, petrification effects like Flesh to Stone, and other status effect inducing abilities. While it does include persistent damage over time effects that do not allow additional saves, it does not include instantaneous damage effects. If a spell contains both an instantaneous damage effect and a status effect, only the status effect may be fought with this ability. If you fail a save against such an effect you suffer the full effect immediately or the stunned condition, your choice.

The DC for this check is the save DC + the spell level, or 10 + CR + relevant stat mod. This check is a free action, made on your turn after suffering an eligible effect. The check results below indicate how you respond to the effect.

Base DC: Spell save DC + the spell level, or 10 + CR + relevant stat mod
Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: You shrug off the effect as if you had made your saving throw, suffering all effects normally associated with a successful saving throw. You no longer need to make these checks, as there is nothing left to fight against from this effect.
• DC+5 to DC+9: You are able to act normally this round, as you fight your debilitating condition back for now. You gain a +2 cumulative bonus to any future checks to resist the effect.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You are able to take a standard action normally this round, as you work to keep your debilitating condition in check. You gain a +1 cumulative bonus to any future checks to resist the effect.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You force yourself to get a swift action off normally this round, though you are gradually losing to your debilitating condition. You suffer a -1 cumulative penalty to any future checks to resist the effect. If your total penalty reaches -5 you immediately suffer the full effects of the spell or ability and may no longer make checks to resist it.
• DC-6 and below: You are unable to rally yourself to take any action free of the effect this round, instead suffering fully under your debilitating condition. You suffer a -2 cumulative penalty to any future checks to resist the effect. If your total penalty reaches -5 you immediately suffer the full effects of the spell or ability and may no longer make checks to resist it.

Tri-Athlete

Before there were bikes, there was rock climbing. Adventurers ran and climbed and swam, and they did it for long periods. You can move flat-out for two rounds per point of your Constitution score, and after you reach this limit you make checks for each additional two rounds of flat-out action. This also means that you can move at a hustle for two minutes per point and take unhurried paced actions for 20 minutes per point. The base DC for fatigue checks after this point is 15 or the DC of the terrain you’re crossing +5, whichever is greater, modified as usual by subdual damage and previous checks since last rest. The results of this check appear in the check result table below.

To become fully rested after an exertion, you must rest for 1 round per round of flat-out action or 2 minutes, whichever is less. Fatigue is eliminated after just 1 minute of rest, or when you are fully rested (whichever occurs first). Exhaustion reduces to fatigue after only five minutes, and it must still be cleared before you any rest counts towards resetting your exertion levels or towards any bonus to continued exertion checks. Any subdual damage acquired will need to heal normally and does not heal at all during any hour in which you acquire more of it. If you begin exerting yourself before you have become fully rested, you gain a +1 bonus to your check for every 2 rounds spent resting, but must begin making checks as soon as you have moved the equivalent of 2 rounds at a flat-out pace.

This ability supersedes the standard running rules.

Base DC: 15 or difficult surface DC +5 (whichever is greater), +1 for each previous check since you were fully rested
Check Result:

• DC+0 and above: You suffer no effects other than the increased DC of the next check.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer 4 points of subdual damage. In no case can this cause you to suffer more subdual damage than you have hit points. You still suffer the +1 DC increase to your check next round if you continue, in addition to the DC penalty for your subdual damage.
• DC-6 and below: You suffer 8 points of subdual damage and become fatigued, and as such may no longer take any action at the flat-out pace, like the run action. If you were already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If you are immune to fatigue, you become exhausted if you fail this check by this amount twice. The subdual damage caused by this result may bring your total subdual damage over your total current hit points.

Rank 8 Uses

Paragon Athlete

Tri-athletes speak of you in hushed tones, marveling at your prowess. You can move flat-out for one minute per point of your Constitution score, and after you reach this limit you make checks for each additional minute of running. This also means that you can hustle for ten minutes per point and walk for 100 minutes per point; you can probably stop worrying about walking at this point. The base DC for fatigue checks after this point is 20 or the DC of the terrain you’re crossing +10, whichever is greater, modified as usual by subdual damage and previous checks since last rest. The results of this check appear in the check result table below.

To become fully rested after an exertion, you must rest for 7 rounds per minute of flat-out action or 8 minutes, whichever is less. Fatigue is eliminated after just four minutes of rest, or when you are fully rested (whichever occurs first). Exhaustion reduces to fatigue after ten minutes, and it must still be cleared before you any rest counts towards resetting your exertion levels or towards any bonus to continued exertion checks. Any subdual damage acquired will need to heal normally and does not heal at all during any hour in which you acquire more of it. If you begin exerting yourself before you have become fully rested, you gain a +1 bonus to your check for every seven rounds spent resting, but must begin making checks as soon as you have moved the equivalent of a minute at a flat-out pace.

This ability supersedes the standard running rules and the Tri-Athlete ability.

Base DC: 20 or difficult surface DC +10 (whichever is greater), +1 for each previous check since you were fully rested
Check Result:

• DC+0 and above: You suffer no effects other than the increased DC of the next check.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer 6 points of subdual damage. In no case can this cause you to suffer more subdual damage than you have hit points. You still suffer the +1 DC increase to your check next round if you continue, in addition to the DC penalty for your subdual damage.
• DC-6 and below: You suffer 12 points of subdual damage and become fatigued, and as such may no longer take any action at the flat-out pace, like the run action. If you were already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If you are immune to fatigue, you become exhausted if you fail this check by this amount twice. The subdual damage caused by this result may bring your total subdual damage over your total current hit points.

Rank 12 Uses

Marathon Machine

You can move flat-out for ten minutes per point of your Constitution score, or hustle for 100 minutes per point. Again, that’s about the point where you can stop tracking hustling time. When you have run to that limit, you must make an Endurance check, and an additional one for each additional ten minutes that you move flat-out. The DC for this check is 25 or the DC of the terrain you are crossing +15, whichever is greater, modified as normal for any subdual damage taken or previous checks. The results of this check appear in the check result table below.

To become fully rested after an exertion, you must rest for half the time you moved at a flat-out rate or an hour, whichever is less. Fatigue is eliminated after 20 minutes of rest, or when you are fully rested (whichever occurs first). Exhaustion reduces to fatigue after 15 minutes, and it must still be cleared before you any rest counts towards resetting your exertion levels or towards any bonus to continued exertion checks. Any subdual damage acquired will need to heal normally and does not heal at all during any hour in which you acquire more of it. If you begin exerting yourself before you have become fully rested, you gain a +1 bonus to your check for every five minutes spent resting, but must begin making checks as soon as you have moved the equivalent of ten minutes at a flat-out pace.

This ability supersedes the standard running rules as well as the Tri-Athlete and Paragon Athlete abilities.

Base DC: 25 or difficult surface DC +15 (whichever is greater), +1 for each previous check since you were fully rested
Check Result:

• DC+0 and above: You suffer no effects other than the increased DC of the next check.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer 8 points of subdual damage. In no case can this cause you to suffer more subdual damage than you have hit points. You still suffer the +1 DC increase to your check next round if you continue, in addition to the DC penalty for your subdual damage.
• DC-6 and below: You suffer 16 points of subdual damage and become fatigued, and as such may no longer take any action at the flat-out pace, like the run action. If you were already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If you are immune to fatigue, you become exhausted if you fail this check by this amount twice. The subdual damage caused by this result may bring your total subdual damage over your total current hit points.

Rank 14 Uses

Chase the Setting Sun

Your races are the things of legend, lasting longer than most people can stay awake. You can move flat-out for an hour per point of your Constitution score. When you have run to that limit, you must make an Endurance check, and an additional one for each additional hour that you move flat-out. The DC for this check is 30 or the DC of the terrain you are crossing +20, whichever is greater, modified as normal for any subdual damage taken or previous checks. The results of this check appear in the check result table below.

You must rest for the half the duration of your run or 8 hours, whichever is less, before you are fully rested and can run in this fashion again; most characters just sleep it off at this point. Fatigue is eliminated after 30 minutes of rest, or when you are fully rested (whichever occurs first). Exhaustion reduces to fatigue after 15 minutes, and it must still be cleared before you any rest counts towards resetting your exertion levels or towards any bonus to continued exertion checks. Any subdual damage acquired will need to heal normally and does not heal at all during any hour in which you acquire more of it. If you begin exerting yourself before you have become fully rested, you gain a +1 bonus to your check for every half hour spent resting, but must begin making checks as soon as you have moved the equivalent of an hour at a flat-out pace.

This ability supersedes the standard running rules as well as all of the other ones above.

Base DC: 30 or difficult surface DC +20 (whichever is greater), +1 for each previous check since you were fully rested
Check Result:

• DC+0 and above: You suffer no effects other than the increased DC of the next check.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer 8 points of subdual damage. In no case can this cause you to suffer more subdual damage than you have hit points. You still suffer the +1 DC increase to your check next round if you continue, in addition to the DC penalty for your subdual damage.
• DC-6 and below: You suffer 16 points of subdual damage and become fatigued, and as such may no longer take any action at the flat-out pace, like the run action. If you were already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If you are immune to fatigue, you become exhausted if you fail this check by this amount twice. The subdual damage caused by this result may bring your total subdual damage to exactly equal your total current hit points, but it can not cause you to fall unconscious.