Flexibility (sage ability)

Flexibility is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Physical Balance describing intense training that's tempered the character's body to function at its best possible level, allowing rapid weight transfer and reaction times. The benefits gained below result from the character's tremendous balance and overall fitness, and so cannot be duplicated by other characters who haven't received the necessary training.

Adjustments to Action Points

Effectively, the character is able to shave off the occasional action point (AP) that would normally be required to perform a given function. One might imagine the character's spring is unusually resilient and quick, as the character exists in a state of constant tension. Additionally, the character's muscles are designed to absorb impact, so that landing can be done more fluidly without adverse effects.

For example, normally it requires 2 AP to stand from a laying position and 1 AP to rise from a seated position. Characters possessing the flexibility ability in these situations need only 1 AP to stand and no AP at all when getting out of a chair.

Other AP requirements likewise affected (-1 AP below normal) include dismounting from a horse, camel, mule or donkey; mounting a horse; dropping to the ground; and unslinging a back pack.

Adjustments to Dexterity Checks

When making a dexterity check to determine if the character loses balance and falls, or fails to catch a moving object, the ability grants a +2 dexterity bonus. Thus, if a character with a 17 dexterity is potentially forced back over a ledge, due to being stunned, then the dexterity check to keep from falling would be done against a 19 dexterity, not a 17.

This would be true in any similar situation, such as jumping a horse, beam walking, scrambling, turning while sprinting and so on, where the character is like to fall. However, the ability would NOT apply in situations such as setting snares or breaking and entering.

See Physical Balance (sage study)