6.3 KiB
Description
Athletics is the raw expression of physical prowess—running, climbing, swimming, and forcing your way past obstacles. Those who excel in Athletics can endure harsh environments, close impossible distances, and turn movement into a weapon.
The Unbound Motion tree represents mastery over mobility, strength, and resilience. Characters who climb these tiers become living engines of motion, impossible to hold back or outrun.
Overview of Tiers and Progression
- Tier 1 (Athletics 1+): Focus on bursts of strength, effort conservation, and ignoring minor obstacles.
- Tier 2 (Athletics 2+): Gain sudden speed, carry others, and land safely from extreme heights.
- Tier 3 (Athletics 3+): Turn movement into battlefield control, anchor yourself against forces, and ignore terrain.
- Tier 4 (Athletics 4+): Perform legendary feats of strength, endurance, and relentless pursuit.
Cost: Each tier costs Tier × 3 Marks, spent from Athletics or Might.
Advancement: Must unlock Tier 1 before accessing later tiers.
Tier 1 Abilities (Athletics 1+)
| Name | Type | Action/Duration | Roll (if active) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powerful Leap | Effect | Attaches to a jump or climb roll | — | Mark a die as Powerful. On success, clear additional distance equal to the die’s value (in meters) when leaping or climbing. |
| Relentless Effort | Effect | Attaches to any prolonged exertion | — | Mark a die as Persistent. If it succeeds, you may reuse it as an automatic success on a later Athletics check in the same scene. |
| Clamber | Passive | Always on | — | When climbing or swimming, ignore 1 penalty die from terrain or conditions. |
Tier 2 Abilities (Athletics 2+)
| Name | Type | Action/Duration | Roll (if active) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst of Speed | Effect | Attaches to a sprint roll | — | Mark a die as Exploding. Each success allows you to chain additional movement up to your Speed. |
| Carrying Others | Passive | Always on | — | You may lift or drag allies or heavy loads without dice penalties. Your Speed is reduced by 1 instead. |
| Braced Landing | Effect | Attaches to a fall roll | — | Mark a die as Powerful. On success, reduce or negate fall damage (negate 1 additional Injury per die value). |
Tier 3 Abilities (Athletics 3+)
| Name | Type | Action/Duration | Roll (if active) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shockwave Slam | Effect | Attaches to a jump landing | — | Mark one die as Effect. If your success margin is 2+, adjacent enemies are knocked Prone. |
| Unyielding | Effect | Attaches to resisting forced movement | — | Mark a die as Persistent. If it succeeds, you are harder to move until of your next turn. Cash in the die in any attempts to resist forced movement until the end of the scene. |
| Overcome Terrain | Passive | Always on | — | Treat all hazardous terrain (mud, rubble, ice, etc.) as normal ground for movement purposes. |
Tier 4 Abilities (Athletics 4+)
| Name | Type | Action/Duration | Roll (if active) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titanic Strength | Active | Once per scene | Might + Athletics | Mark a die as Exploding. On success, lift or break through anything up to the size of a portcullis, wall section, or barricade. |
| Relentless Pursuit | Passive | Always on (scene-based) | — | When chasing an enemy, your movement costs 1 fewer APR (Action Point Rate) for the rest of the scene. |
| Supreme Endurance | Passive | Always on | — | You automatically succeed on any check to resist environmental Fatigue or long-term exertion. |
[!hint] Design Notes
Tier 1–2 build flexible mobility tools that can be applied in travel, combat, or downtime.
Tier 3 introduces battlefield impact: knocking foes prone or holding your ground like a wall.
Tier 4 abilities create legendary moments: breaking gates, running down fleeing enemies, and shrugging off exhaustion.
Marked dice ensure Athletics users constantly choose between efficiency and risk.