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 Running

You use this skill when you have exerted yourself to the point that you might become tired. Please see the revised action fatigue rules for additional information on this check, and resting afterwards. The base DC is 10 or the balance DC of the surface you are running on, whichever is greater.

The check results have been included here for ease of reference.

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 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.

Suck It Up

Some hazards and battles will be painful, and you can ignore that pain to some degree. With a swift action to steady yourself, and an endurance check, you can ignore the movement reducing penalties of caltrops and similar feet attacking effects. You can also take a strenuous action at 0hp without incurring the standard 1 point of damage. The DC for this check is 20, and the results of your check are indicated in the table below.

Base DC: 20
Check Result:

• DC+5 and above: You suffer no effects from your injured condition for up to 1 minute. After this time you must make another check if the condition persists.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You suffer no effects from your injured condition this round. After this time you must make another check if the condition persists.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You suffer the full effects of your injured condition this round. Since you probably made this check before you took any action, you should act appropriately. You may make another attempt to ignore your condition next round.
• 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. If you’re still conscious, you may make another attempt to ignore your condition next round.

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.