Subability Checks Subabilities are more specific definitions of a character’s aptitudes. They can be used more often to determine the success of actions beyond simple proficiency checks. The concept of ability checks was introduced in the Player’s Handbook. This concept is expanded with subabilities. Specific examples of the various subability checks follow. The lists are not intended to be all-encompassing, but simply guidelines of the uses of subability checks.

Stamina: This subability is used to ascertain a character’s physical exertion over a period of time. Sample opportunities to call for Stamina checks include a character holding a heavy weight or propping up a collapsing ceiling. When a character is in pursuit of an NPC or monster that has the same movement rate, the Stamina check determines who will tire first. Other checks could involve long-term physical exertion such as swimming vast distances, defending the castle walls from attackers over the course of hours or days, or staying awake long enough to memorize spells for the next day—after a long day of adventuring.

Muscle: Times to call for Muscle checks include when characters try to pick up heavy objects, leap chasms, arm wrestle, and display feats of strength.

Aim: Potential times to use Aim checks include when characters enter games of skill, such as darts; when they try sleight-of-hand maneuvers; and when they try to catch things thrown at them, such as balls, coins, or books.

Balance: Balance checks can be called for when a character walks along a narrow ledge to reach a window, when he flees across a rope bridge while trying to avoid attackers’ missile weapons, and when he catches a handhold after an enemy damages that rope bridge and causes it to collapse.

Health: Health checks can be used to determine a character’s resistance to a disease, and to find out if a character catches the flu going around the kingdom. They also determine a character’s resistance to intoxicants, drugs, or poisons.

Fitness: Fitness checks can be used to gauge an adventurer’s resistance to longer-term hardships such as forced marches, food or water deprivation, and non-lethal torture.

Reason: Good times to call for Reason checks include when a character is searching for clues at the scene of a crime, when someone is trying to learn new information, or when a character is attempting to read a code or decipher a cryptic message.

Knowledge: Knowledge checks can be used when characters try to understand a strange language or recall bits of information they have seemingly forgotten.

Intuition: These checks are called for when adventurers think they are being followed, that their NPC friend is acting strangely, or when someone attempts to con them.

Willpower: Willpower checks are needed when a character’s force of will is challenged, such as when he is offered a bribe, is interrogated, or is blackmailed. Other possibilities include when a character tries to persuade an NPC about an important issue or point, or when a character is tortured to surrender valuable information.

Leadership: Situations calling for Leadership checks include when an adventurer leads NPCs into battle, when one adventurer asks a favor of another, or when a character attempts to instill a belief or attitude into a crowd or mob.

Appearance: Appearance checks can be used in social circumstances where the involved character has no established reputation. Or the checks might determine if an NPC becomes romantically interested in the character.

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