Vitality (sage ability)
Vitality is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Blood, strengthening the character's resistance to disease, fatigue and system shock, through the manipulation of Qi (chi or ki), the vital force within the body this quasi-energy is used to arouse the body to fight off any infection, greatly increasing the likelihood of the character enduring and surviving any natural ailment, regardless of constitution.
The energy of Qi originates from external sources rather than being tied directly to the character’s constitution. As a result, the usual effects of constitution on health and survival are surpassed by the vitality sage ability, which enhances the body’s innate defenses against illness and strain.
When determining the onset of a disease, two factors must be considered: nature and degree. The nature of a disease indicates whether it is acute or chronic, while degree specifies whether it is mild, severe, or terminal. Both factors are determined by a roll of a d8. Vitality reduces the result of these rolls by 1 point for every 10 points of knowledge the character possesses. This adjustment significantly lowers the chance of a disease being terminal, even for those of a low experience level. As the character's knowledge increases, the likelihood of suffering from severe illnesses diminishes, eventually leading to complete immunity from natural diseases.
Regarding forced activity and fatigue, vitality allows the character to extend their endurance beyond the limits imposed by constitution. The amount of time a character can sustain effort without requiring an ability check increases by 1 hour for every 8 points of knowledge they possess, starting with their constitution's baseline. For example, a character with vitality, a constitution score of 10, and 35 points of knowledge could engage in hard physical labour for 14 hours before needing to make a forced ability check.
Finally, vitality enhances the character's survival against system shock. Their chance of surviving a system shock roll increases by 1% for every 7 points of knowledge they possess. Thus, a character with 18 constitution and the vitality sage ability would reach a 100% chance of survival, effectively eliminating the need for system shock checks altogether.
