Abilities

Basic Abilities
Physical Abilities (Strength, Agility, Speed, Durability) are capped at 3 for normal humans, representing peak human potential. Intelligence can range from 1 to 10, but cannot be purchased with lines. Consult the Difficulty & Resistance chart for some benchmarks.

Intelligence is a measure of how smart your character is. You would use your Intelligence to solve problems, operate devices and machinery, memorize information, etc. Note that the Special Intelligence Energy Rule from the core rule book is no longer applicable. Intelligence also governs the following factors:
 * Your Mental Defense factors in your Intelligence ability number, in addition to your Mental Defense Modifier or Telepathy AN, if any.

Strength is the measure of how much physical force your character is capable of exerting. Aside from being related to many Actions as a bonus, your Strength is associated with several other physical tasks, including:
 * Lifting & Throwing
 * Breaking Objects
 * Leaping

Agility is the measure of the speed of your reflexes, how deftly or dextrously you handle objects, and how well you move. In addition to being related to many Actions as a bonus, your Agility is often used for mundane physical activities, such as sports or playing a musical instrument, or as a replacement for a specific physical Action if you lack an appropriate AN. Also:
 * Your Initiative is typically equal to your Agility.

Speed is a measure of how quickly your character can run. Consult the Difficulty & Resistance chart to find your maximum speed, and the corresponding resistance required to achieve and maintain it. Also:
 * For the additional cost of 1 white stone, you may substitute your Speed for your Agility when calculating your Initiative.

Durability is the measure of the sturdiness of your body, how much punishment it can take, and to some extent your tolerance of pain, will to survive, or drive to carry on even when injured. Most importantly:
 * Your Durability determines the maximum number of white health stones of Health you have.
 * Unlike in the core rule book, your Durability does not determine the rate at which you recover energy, nor the size of your energy pool. Instead, it only determines maximum Health.
 * You can hold your breath for a number of consecutive Pages equal to your Durability, though you do not recover energy during this time. Continuing to hold your breath beyond this limit deals cumulative damage at the rate of one red stone per Page.
 * Durability does not cost triple the normal price, as it does in the core rule book. Instead, it costs AN+0 CL, like any other Ability.

Health
Health is measured in white stones, and is lost when damage is suffered. As mentioned above, your maximum number of white stones of Health are equal to your Durability. Some powers that temporarily increase your Durability (such as Growth) also increase your stones of Health; damage suffered while in this altered state usually transfers proportionately when the power ends.

Natural healing occurs as described in the core rule book, pp.13-14. Other methods of regaining health include the Medical Healing and Mutant Healing Actions, and the Healing Factor Modifier.

Energy
Energy works very differently here than it does in the core rule book. The Durability Ability has been split into three components: Health, described above, as well as Recovery and Energy Pool. Unlike physical Abilities, Recovery and Energy Pool are not absolutely restricted to a natural limit of 3; some humans possessing exceptional skill and training may exceed this guideline (though rarely by more than one point).

Recovery represents the degree to which you can exert yourself without tiring, as well as how quickly you can replenish your strength once fatigued. Specifically:
 * You regain red stones of Energy equal to your Recovery at the beginning of every Page of a combat or action sequence.
 * Your Recovery is independent of your Health and does not decrease should you suffer damage.
 * Recovery is purchased at a cost of AN+0 CL
 * Special Energy Rule?

Energy Pool represents your raw tenacity and physical conditioning, and is a measure of how long you can keep pushing your limits before you completely run out of steam. Specifically:
 * You begin each combat or action sequence with a number of red stones of Energy equal to your Energy Pool x5.
 * Some Actions or Modifiers may temporarily increase your Energy Pool; when this happens, you immediately gain 5 red stones of Energy.
 * Some Actions or Modifiers (such as Harmful Touch) may cause you to gain red stones of Energy in excess of your normal maximum. These stones may be spent as usual, but typically "bleed off" at a rate of one stone per Page.