Running (sage ability)

Running is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Athletics, which enables the character to enables the character to develop exceptional endurance for sustained long-distance movement.

This ability concerns endurance running, not short bursts of speed or sprinting. The knowledge granted by this ability allows the character to maintain a steady pace over extended distances without succumbing to exhaustion. While a trained sprinter may cover short distances at great speed, Running focuses on the ability to cover miles of terrain continuously, resisting fatigue through trained breathing, muscle conditioning and efficient movement. The skill reflects both natural physical conditioning and learned techniques for pacing, hydration and energy conservation, allowing the character to remain in motion long after an untrained runner would collapse.

Unskilled Running

Obviously, any character who is healthy and living in a world that demands greater physical effort due to its lack of modern technology can run, on average, a little more than half an hour. This presupposes an average Strength of 10.5, multiplied by 3 minutes per point of Strength, yielding a base endurance of 31½ minutes continuous running before exhaustion sets in. This represents the ability of an unskilled runner — someone with no formal training in pacing, breathing techniques or endurance conditioning but who is otherwise physically capable.

This, however, demands that the runner must be unencumbered, ensuring they have 5 full action points (AP) available. Any reduction in AP due to armour, gear or weight carried directly impacts endurance. For each AP lost, the character's running duration is halved. A character with 3 AP can only run 45 seconds per point of strength.

This time reflects a steady, sustainable pace rather than an outright sprint, with an average untrained runner covering approximately 6 miles per hour (or ½ mile per 5-minute period). This assumes a controlled, long-distance running pace. In combat terms, this is equivalent to stride-4.22, technically a "run". Characters with higher Strength will naturally maintain this pace for longer periods, but without formal training, their endurance remains limited by physical exertion and fatigue.

After running this distance, An unskilled runner must rest for an equal amount of time before they can run again at full capacity. If they have exhausted their base running duration, they must stop and recover for the same number of minutes they spent running. This assumes rest in the form of walking, standing or light activity, but not continued running or strenuous movement, including battle. If forced to resume running before this recovery period is complete, their endurance is cut in half for the next attempt, with further consecutive runs without full recovery leading to rapid exhaustion.

However, an unskilled runner cannot sustain this cycle indefinitely. While resting allows partial recovery, the body accumulates fatigue over time. A character can repeat this run-rest cycle a maximum of three times before reaching exhaustion, at which point they can no longer run until they take an extended rest of at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep. For example, a character with Strength 12 could run at a rate of 36 minutes, three times in a day, for a total of 108 minutes (a distance of 10.8 miles).

Common Runners

These are persons who have not achieved amateur status, yet have knowledge points in running, from 1 to 9. They have developed some stamina, but they still tire quickly compared to those who have committed to proper conditioning. Yet because they have some knowledge their ability to run is increased by 2 minutes per each point of running knowledge they have.

This is added to their strength benefit, so that a character with a strength of 10, with 5 points of running knowledge, could run 30 + 10 minutes instead of only 30.

Amateur

Upon achieving 10 points of running skill, the bonus for each point increases from 2 minutes to 3, which is added to the base strength bonus as before. Speed does not improve, as the purpose it to obtain a degree of endurance — thus trained runner focus upon maintaining a consistent pace rather than increasing their speed. The amount of time needed to rest does not improve at Amateur status. The character still requires an equal amount of time to recover as they spent running. While their endurance has increased, they still accumulate fatigue in the same way, meaning that the time spent in exertion must still be matched with a period of rest before they can run again at full duration.

The run-rest cycle remains unchanged as well, so that Amateur runners can now complete three full runs before exhaustion forces them to stop.

This would mean that a player character, Aydin, with 10 point of knowledge and a strength of 12, could run 62 minutes at a time, four times per day, with three rests in between. This is a total of 186 minutes, or a distance of 18.6 miles. This would require 5 hours and 17 minutes.

Authority

Knowledge gained, along with the character's strength bonus, does not change up to the 29th point of running obtained. However, the 30th point, and every point thereafter to the 59th point of knowledge, increases the character's endurance 5 minutes, not 3.

For example, Bethany has a strength of 14 and 35 points of knowledge in running. Her strength allows her to run 42 minutes; the 29 points she obtained as a common runner and and amateur add an additional 87 minutes. The six points she has above 29, however, increases her endurance a full 30 minutes. This allows Bethany to run continuously for a time period of 159 minutes, or 2 hours and 39 minutes. As with amateurs, the run-rest cycle remains unchanged, so Bethany can do this long run three times per day. Still, this lets her run a distance of 47.7 miles over a time period of 13¼. Because she is resting, she is not subject to forced march.

Expert

With the 60th point of knowledge, the benefit changes again, to 8 minutes of running per point above 59. This is added to times that have already been added. The number of cycles remains unchanged, though the time between cycles reduces by 10%.

Take Colton, who has 69 points of running knowledge and a strength of 10. Yet he can run steadily for 347 minutes without stopping for a rest... and when he does rest, he needs to do so for 35 minutes less than the full time he has spent running (rounded). This allows him to run-rest-run-rest-run and be exhausted, like Aydin and Bethany, requiring a total of 27¾ hours while he covers a distance of 104 and some miles!

When a character reaches 93 knowledge points, the amount of time needed to rest begins to exceed 8 hours. Since an 8 hour period is sufficient for all rest to occur, at this point, there ceases to be a limit to the number of cycles the character can run. In essence, they can continue running every time they awake, indefinitely, without ever being forced to stop due to fatigue.

Sage

With each point of running above 99, where the character ceases to be an expert, gains an additional 13 minutes. Thus Dalton, with 100 points of knowledge, can run continously for 600 minutes without stopping, a full 10 hours. He can run 60 miles in this time period, without needing a break and without be affected by forced march. Each point of knowledge thereafter, his time running stretches out, without his becoming any more exhausted, so long as he rests 8 hours between each time period spent running. Therefore, in a period of 28 hours, with one rest, he can run 120 miles.

See also,
Run (spell)
Training (sage field)