Purpose: Explain how Endurance offsets the Armor Penalty to Athletics, Acrobatics, and Odd Talent pools.
Clarification
The Rule (Plain English)
Armor creates a penalty to three specific pool types (Athletics, Acrobatics, Odd Talents):
- Light armor: −1D
- Medium armor: −2D
- Heavy armor: −3D
Endurance training reduces this penalty by allowing characters to work effectively within restrictions.
Mechanic: For every 2 full dice invested in Endurance, the Armor Penalty is reduced by 1.
How It Works
The Math
Penalty Reduction = ⌊ Endurance ÷ 2 ⌋
(Read as: "Endurance divided by 2, rounded down")
Table: Endurance vs. Penalty Reduction
| Endurance | Calculation | Penalty Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1D | ⌊0÷2⌋ or ⌊1÷2⌋ | 0 (not enough) |
| 2D | ⌊2÷2⌋ | 1 |
| 3D | ⌊3÷2⌋ | 1 (only 2D "counts") |
| 4D | ⌊4÷2⌋ | 2 |
| 5D | ⌊5÷2⌋ | 2 (only 4D "counts") |
| 6D | ⌊6÷2⌋ | 3 |
Key insight: You need 2D of Endurance to get any reduction. The 3rd, 5th die, etc., don't contribute to reduction (but still help with other Endurance uses).
Worked Examples
Example 1: Light Armor + Endurance 2D
Character: Speed 3D, Acrobatics 2D, Light armor (−1D), Endurance 2D
When rolling an Acrobatics check with Light armor:
- Base pool: Speed 3D + Acrobatics 2D = 5D
- Armor penalty: −1D
- Endurance reduction: ⌊2÷2⌋ = 1
- Net penalty: −1 + 1 = 0
- Final pool: 5D (no penalty at all)
Example 2: Heavy Armor + Endurance 4D
Character: Speed 4D, Athletics 2D, Heavy armor (−3D), Endurance 4D
When rolling Athletics with Heavy armor:
- Base pool: Speed 4D + Athletics 2D = 6D
- Armor penalty: −3D
- Endurance reduction: ⌊4÷2⌋ = 2
- Net penalty: −3 + 2 = −1
- Final pool: 5D (only 1D penalty remains)
Example 3: Medium Armor + Endurance 3D
Character: Speed 3D, Acrobatics 1D, Medium armor (−2D), Endurance 3D
When rolling Acrobatics with Medium armor:
- Base pool: Speed 3D + Acrobatics 1D = 4D
- Armor penalty: −2D
- Endurance reduction: ⌊3÷2⌋ = 1 (the 3rd die doesn't count)
- Net penalty: −2 + 1 = −1
- Final pool: 3D (still 1D penalty)
If this character invested 1 more die into Endurance (total 4D):
- Endurance reduction: ⌊4÷2⌋ = 2
- Net penalty: −2 + 2 = 0
- Final pool: 4D (no penalty)
The Penalty Never Becomes Positive
The Endurance reduction cannot overcorrect. The floor is 0 (no penalty remains).
| Scenario | Armor Penalty | Endurance Reduction | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light armor, Endurance 6D | −1D | 3 | −1 + 3 = 0 (not +2) |
| Medium armor, Endurance 6D | −2D | 3 | −2 + 3 = 0 (not +1) |
When This Applies
The Armor Penalty (and thus Endurance's reduction of it) applies only to:
- Athletics checks
- Acrobatics checks
- Odd Talent action pools
It does not apply to:
- Strike or Precision attacks (those use their respective parent attributes)
- Other Talents
- Saves
Quick Reference: Full Armor + Endurance Examples
| Armor Type | Penalty | Endurance 0D | Endurance 2D | Endurance 4D | Endurance 6D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | −1D | −1D | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medium | −2D | −2D | −1D | 0 | 0 |
| Heavy | −3D | −3D | −2D | −1D | 0 |
(Bolded = penalty fully offset)
Design Intent
This rule allows a character in full Heavy armor to still be effective at Athletics, Acrobatics, and Odd Talents if they invest in Endurance training. A 4D or higher Endurance investment directly counters armor's movement restrictions—representing a character who has trained to move effectively despite encumbrance.
Without Endurance, armor is a trade-off: you're tougher but more restricted.
With Endurance, you can specialize: "I'm a tank who can still move and cast spells effectively."