Physique

The Physique skill is a Core skill every character receives in their starting package. A character’s Physique skill represents their overall physical strength and wellbeing. Characters with high Physique typically are strong, physically fit individuals who can perform laborious acts for long periods of time.

Physique covers several activities such as: weight lifting, sprinting, aerobics, flexibility, tolerating poisons, and staying conscious. Physique does not include activities such as long-distance running, climbing, swimming, etc as those would fall under the Athletics skill.

Skill Levels

Apprentice 1-25

People with Apprentice level Physique are not strong, nor fit. Physical labor generally proves to be difficult and exhausting. Most are not able to successfully manipulate their own full-body weight in exercises like pull-ups or use a full range of motion in exercises like squats. Flexibility is a bit lacking, as they are still working on the ability to touch their toes without bending their knees. Pulling or tearing muscles is not that uncommon when dealing with extreme weights, or attempting a higher level of flexibility. The person has no tolerance for poison and usually cannot stay conscious from blood loss or receiving a Medium wound when hit in the head.

Journeyman 26-50

Early Journeymen begin to notice they have slightly above-average strength and/or flexibility. Performing manual labor as a profession is no longer exhausting. Their body shows signs of additional bulk or lean definition (author’s choice) from manipulation of heavier weights. Upper Journeymen begin to gain the ability to manipulate their own full-body weight in exercises like pull-ups. Their flexibility can improve to a point that they might surprise people with how far they can bend or stretch. Activities like the splits or deliberately dislocating a joint are still beyond their abilities. Their fitness reaches a point that they still cannot resist any poisons, but they would not be affected as long by them, due to their higher metabolism. Blood loss can be tolerated though they become dizzy quickly. Head trauma equalling a Major wound is required to render them unconscious with a single hit. Multiple Medium head wounds also result in unconsciousness.

Expert 51-75

People with Expert Physique know the exact limitations that they have. Physical labor is only tiring if done under extreme circumstances and is otherwise something they may consider fun. Manipulating their full-body weight has become the standard for many of their exercises, allowing them to perform heavy-weight repetitions by Journeyman standards for extended periods of time. Their flexibility is advanced enough to perform difficult feats like the splits or any advanced Yoga position. Dislocating joints, while painful, is no longer debilitating. The person has moderate success at relocating their joints without worsening the injury. Their body, whether it is bulky or lean, can have a lot of muscle definition. Poisons can be tolerated, though still make the person feel unwell unless hit with multiple doses rapidly. Remaining conscious through blood loss is possible but the body has a hard limit of ability to function with reduced blood. Falling unconscious from a single hit is only possible if it’s head trauma from a Severe wound. Multiple Major head wounds also result in unconsciousness.

Master 76-100

Masters of Physique appear like works of art. They have nearly reached the peak of physical conditioning, able to operate almost endlessly when performing physical labor. They display flexibility that many people would have considered impossible, or unhealthy until they saw it. Poisons are filtered through the body in less than half the normal time, and all but the guaranteed lethal poisons are only about half as effective against someone with Master Physique. Blood loss can be ignored with enough adrenaline, but ignoring it for longer periods will make it worse. It requires numerous (10+) Major head wounds, several (3-5) Severe head wounds, or one Extreme head wound to be rendered unconscious.