Athletic
| Athletic | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Traits |
| Type | Positive Trait |
| Points | -10 |
| Effect | Faster running speed. Can run for longer without tiring. |
| Skill Boosts | Fitness: +4 |
| Conflicts | |
Athletic makes a character run faster and tire more slowly. It also adds four levels of Fitness, which puts the character near the top of the skill from the first day.
It is a positive trait and one of the most expensive, costing 10 points at character creation. It suits a player who escapes on foot, fights long melee battles or wants a sturdy character for a long run. The high price means fewer points for other traits, so it shapes the whole build.
Athletic Effects
Running and sprinting speed rise by about a fifth. A chase that would catch a normal character often ends with the Athletic one getting away. Endurance also drains more slowly while running, so the character can keep going for longer.
The extra Fitness levels matter on their own. Fitness governs endurance and how fast it recovers. A character with high Fitness can swing a weapon many more times before getting tired.
Grappling also improves. An Athletic character is about a quarter more effective when grabbing or wrestling with zombies.
The running bonus depends on Fitness staying high. If another trait drags Fitness below level 9, and no occupation makes up the difference, the speed bonus goes away. A character has to keep the Fitness level up for the trait to keep paying off.
Athletic Skill Boosts
Athletic adds these skill levels when the character is created.
| Skill | Levels |
|---|---|
| Fitness | +4 |
Athletic Conflicting Traits
A character with Athletic cannot also take these traits.
| Name | Image | Points | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Weight | 
|
0 | Occupation Trait |
| Fit | 
|
-6 | Positive Trait |
| Very High Weight | 
|
0 | Occupation Trait |
| Out of Shape | 
|
+6 | Negative Trait |
| Unfit | 
|
+10 | Negative Trait |
| Very Low Weight | 
|
0 | Occupation Trait |
| Smoker | 
|
+3 | Negative Trait |
Picking Athletic
Athletic clashes with Fit, Out of Shape, Unfit and Smoker. It also clashes with the weight traits High Weight, Very High Weight and Very Low Weight. A build that wants Athletic has to stay clear of all of them.
The 10 points are steep. Players often fund them with negative traits that matter little to their style. The payoff is large for a melee fighter or a runner who travels on foot.
Fit is a cheaper way to raise Fitness, while Athletic adds the running speed on top. For players who rely on escaping, Athletic is the stronger choice. For players who drive everywhere and fight from a distance, the points may go further elsewhere.
Notes
- Running speed rises by about a fifth.
- Endurance drains more slowly while running.
- Fitness must stay at level 9 or above for the bonus.
- Grappling with zombies is about a quarter more effective.
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