Stability (sage ability)

Stability is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Sure-footedness. Occasionally, a character is placed into a position of precarious risk by a dangerous height or the possibility of falling into a hazardous predicament, such as a trap, a pool or a nest of monsters. The issue is usually associated with stunning, as the character is knocked back by the force of the enemy's attack. Occasionally, a risk also occurs if the character is in a high place and is startled or affected by their environment (high wind, a greasy or wet spot on a ledge, etcetera).

In such cases, the character is usually given an ability check against their dexterity, with success indicating that they have avoided being thrown into a wall or pushed out of the hex into a hazard. Thieves and assassins will most likely succeed due to their high dexterity, but the ability of heightened balance allows the character to consider themselves to possess a 19 dexterity for such checks. Thus a failed check can only occur on a natural 20.

If the character already has a natural 19 dexterity (which is possible due to racial adjustments), then the character may roll a 1 in 2 chance that even a natural 20 does not indicate a failure to retain balance.

Note that in movement attacks, such as overbearing, where balance checks are not made, heightened balance has no effect on the character's forced movement.

See also,
Assassin Sage Abilities
Skulduggery (sage field)
Thief Sage Abilities