Might

Typically used with: Muscle

In short: be strong. Might represents great feats of strength: picking things up, bursting through bonds, prying a chest open, hurling a rock, breaking down a door, or opening a stuck jar lid. The physically inclined, the professional athlete, the hired brawn: all users of the Might skill. It can be used to push, pull, throw, lift, and smash. In the descriptions below where you see the phrase "if a character rolls a 30," take that to mean a character with a Muscle of 10, 10 ranks in Might, and who rolls a 10: the limit of human achievement.

The example DLs and distance listed here are calculated for creatures of average human weight and height: between 100–250 lbs., and between 5–7 feet. Characters who are much smaller or much bigger should take into account their own weight (e.g. an elephant weighing 6 tons should be able to break down a portcullis that a single human cannot), and their own height (e.g. a lemur should only be able to throw a marble so far).

Push/Pull/Lift

Your character may need to push, pull, or hoist a willing ally or other heavy object. The heavier the thing, the higher the DL. During combat, using your brawn to move an object or willing creature takes 3 AP.

Generally speaking, a character should be able to briefly lift its own weight from the ground with a DL 10, twice its weight at DL 20, and three times its weight at DL 30. If lifting from beneath an object, DL 10 is 150% of its weight, DL 20 is three times its weight, and DL 30 is 450% its weight. A character attempting to regularly lift more than its own weight has to be concerned about the stress it puts on the body — especially to the skeleton and internal organs.

For example, Nox the human knight is a huge, well-built soldier, weighing 300 lbs. Thus, if he rolls a 30, he can pick up 900 pounds from the ground. (For perspective, a world record for dead lift is about 1,000 pounds). If he gets beneath the object and lifts with his whole body, he can pick up 1,350 lbs (a world record for squat is over 1,200 pounds).

Trying to carry a very heavy object (anything bigger than 20–30% of your body weight) for more than a few moments requires a Stamina check. You also gain the hampered condition since you can't move as fast so long as you're carrying it. You may also be denied the use of one or both hands.

Throwing

Your character may need to throw a weapon to a comrade or a bomb to an enemy. The result of the roll determines the distance you can throw the weight. Throwing objects in combat takes 3 AP.

For a light-weight object that can fit in the hand (an apple, a baseball, a dagger), the result of the roll times 15 should be the number of feet the object is thrown. Thus, if a character rolls a 30, the object can be thrown 450 feet.

If you have a relatively light object (20 pounds or less) and a good amount of momentum, the result of the roll times 10 should be the number of feet thrown. A traditional Olympic games hammer weighs 16 pounds. An Olympic javelin weighs just under 2 pounds. Thus, if a character rolls a 30, they can toss either 300 feet (for perspective, a world record for the hammer throw is about 285 feet, the javelin throw 297 feet).

A shot put weighs the same as the hammer, but it gets much less momentum. For a toss with less momentum, the roll times 3 should equal the number of feet thrown. Thus, if a character rolls a 30, they can toss a 16 pound shot 90 feet. (For perspective, a world record for the shot put is about 76 feet).

Obviously, a heavy object can be thrown much shorter a distance. For a 60 pound object, the result of the roll should be the number of feet thrown. Thus, if a character rolls a 30, they can toss a 60 pound weight 30 feet. (For perspective, a world record for throwing a 56 pound weight is 36 feet).

Escaping Grabs

You can roll a Might check to escape another creature's Grab. See the "Grabbing" entry in the Tactics section of Chapter 10: Combat. Using Might to escape from a Grab takes 3 AP. To try to pin you down, your opponent rolls a Grip check. If your Might check meets or exceeds their Grip, you're free of the Grab.

When creatures of different sizes make opposed rolls involving Grip or Might, each should add its Size Muscle Bonus. As noted in the Size table in Chapter 4: Life and Death, a creature's Muscle Bonus is its Size × 5. Thus, firnoy have a penalty of −5 and kulgeris have a bonus of +5. This modifier should only be included when those rolling have different Size scores.

Breaking Objects

You can use your brute strength to pry open chests, bash open doors, burst through chains, or manhandle a set of manacles. The DL here deals with the solidness or fortitude of the object in question. A thin glass window might be DL 5, and the iron door to your cell might be DL 30. Creatures should include their Size Muscle Bonus in this roll if the object is meant for a creature of a different Size (for instance, a juren is trying to bust his pal out of prison: a tiny human-sized prison with tiny human-sized doors). Breaking objects with a Might check takes 3 AP.

Any time you find yourself completely tied up, you gain the immobilized condition. The good news is that you can burst from your rope bonds with a successful Might check. The better you're tied up, the higher the DL. In this case, the DL is taken from the Craft check of the character who tied you up.

Dealing Damage

To deal damage to creatures and objects during combat, you must make a Damage Roll which involves your ranks in Might for weapons that are used in melee or that are thrown. See the "Using a weapon" entry in the Attacking section of Chapter 10: Combat. Each weapon has its own AP cost and its own Harm bonus to the Damage Roll.

In addition to weapon damage, Might can be used for many different things in combat, like Slamming, Tripping, and throwing a creature you have in a Grab. See the Tactics section of Chapter 10: Combat.