(TFT) "speed" runs and fatigue

["Jay Carlisle" <Jay_Carlisle@charter.net>]

Fatigue: a physical and/or mental sensation of increasing difficulty in 
performing at a given work load while maintaining previous efficiency.

Muscle fatigue
The most basic type of fatigue effecting all effort to some degree but most 
pronounced in quick burst efforts at peak strength such as sprinting.
Damage to muscle fibers as well as some degree of metabolic build up are the 
main factors here.

Metabolic fatigue
Prolonged heavy efforts produce metabolic substances over time that build up 
in and around muscle tissues and begin to interfere with normal action.
For trained runners metabolic fatigue is most prominent in the middle 
distances from 800 meters up to the long distance races.

Energy depletion
During marathons or longer distances the pace is generally low enough so 
that a trained runners body can process metabolites while running.
Over long distances and times the primary cause of fatigue is the depletion 
of the bodys stores of carbohydrates and other energy referred to as the 
wall.
A trained runner has around 2 hours of carbohydrates when running at 
distance pace.

Central nervous system fatigue
As muscles become damaged, metabolites become imbalanced, and energy 
supplies become exhausted the bodys central nervous system begins to slow 
things down by cutting off more and more signals to the muscles as a 
protective measure.
This can be overridden by a runner, like the kick in the last few hundred 
feet of a long distance race.
Nervous cell recovery is seven times slower than muscle cell recovery.

Recent research suggests that fatigue maybe foremost a function of the mind 
reacting to signals from the body warning of one or more of the above 
conditions.

None of this is well understood and while Im not very interested in 
advocating for a particular side in a debate I do want to be able to 
represent out of shape Figures and levels of athleticism so I guess Im 
gonna have to pick a horse here.

The main problem I run up against with Fatigue is coming up with a 
reasonable ratio between fST and ST as damage.
I have no problem with being able to kill an exhausted Figure easily but the 
way Fatigue feels to me as a game mechanic I want to be able to hand out 
more Fatigue for a Figure than I do damage.
In play tests Ive been running decimal Fatigue.
It works pretty good but Ive been running pro level athletes over very 
specific situations.
So a few weeks ago I came up with this protection scenario inspired by 
some of the Champions Online missions.
This was intended for three or four 32ish point Figures.
As I didnt want the NPC Figure that the players had to protect to be able 
to participate in combat I decided to describe him as out of shape.
Merchant ST10, DX10, IQ14  MA3 no combat Talents.
The basic set up was for the players to escort a wealthy merchant through 
town in order to meet one of his ships before she sails.
Hes in a hurry because the captain intends to shove off before the watch 
calls noon, perhaps an hour or so from now judging by the sun.
The players are newly hired guards preparing to move out with the caravan 
that will transport the goods unloaded from the very ship the merchant needs 
to rendezvous with.
They have been left to the menial chores while the other guards are off on 
various last minute errands and other business readying for departure.
As the players are returning to the staging area after mucking out the 
stalls they see a little fat man emerge from the office across the yard.
He looks around rapidly and upon spotting the party lumbers awkwardly toward 
them waving his arms and hollering Oy! You lot!
He approaches the players, panting a bit and sweating slightly as he 
explains the situation.
There are two main routes from the merchants offices to the docks.
The common route arches west and then north along the perimeter of town, 
running through the merchants quarter and approaching the wharf at the 
northern end of the harbor nearest to the channel where the sea going 
vessels berth.
This way takes about an hour at a brisk walk of about a 3mph pace (MA 5).
There is a more direct route that passes through the seedier area of town 
before reaching the southern docks where the fishing boats are moored then 
following along the harbor to the wharf.
This way takes less than 45 minutes at a 3mph pace (~2.25 miles) but is less 
secure, not to mention smellier.
The merchant wants to take the shortcut but can be persuaded to go the long 
route on a reaction check of 4 or more.
The merchant is used to short strolls (~30 minutes) at a ~1.75mph pace 
(MA3).
It would take the merchant about two hours at his normal pace following the 
long route and around an hour and a half along the shortcut allowing for 
rests.
The merchant can maintain quicker paces for short distances by spending fST.

Long route 15,840 feet (3684 hexes)
Short route 11,880 feet (2763 hexes)

At about a 3mph pace (5MA) the merchant gains 1 fST over a 5 minute period 
until becoming winded covering 300 hexes in that time.
Following the long route it takes the merchant about 13 sets of 300 hexes to 
complete the route taking about 65 minutes without pushing past winded.
Allowing 5 minutes per rest period for full fST recovery adds an additional 
65 minutes to the time.
So;
~3mph  1 fST every 5 minutes (60 turns) until winded ~21.5 feet per turn 
(MA5)
300 hexes until winded
Long 3684hexes / 300hexes = 12.28 (13 fST cycles) 65 min move time + 65min 
rest time
Short 2763 / 300 = 9.21 (10) 50 min + 50 min

~4mph  1 fST every 4 minutes (48 turns) until winded ~30 feet per turn 
(MA7)
336 hexes until winded
Long 10.96 (11) 44 min + 55 min
Short 8.22 (9) 36 min + 45 min

~5mph  1 fST every 3 minutes (36 turns) until winded ~38.5 feet per turn 
(MA9)
324 hexes until winded
Long 11.37 (12) 36 min + 60 min
Short 8.52 (9) 27 min + 45 min

~6mph  1 fST every 2 minutes (24 turns) until winded ~43 feet per turn 
(MA10)
240 hexes until winded
Long 15.35 (16) 32 min + 80 min
Short 11.51 (12) 24 min + 60 min

~7mph  1 fST per minute (12 turns) until winded ~51.5 feet per turn (MA12)
144 hexes until winded
Long 25.58 (26) 26 min + 130 min
Short 19.18 (20) 20 min + 100 min

The merchant becomes winded at half his total fST and stops to rest, gaining 
+1 fST per minute of rest and continuing on after he regains full fST.
The merchant can be encouraged to keep going past his winded point for a 
duration of his fatigue cycle (number of turns to gain 1 fST divided by 12) 
at a cost of 1 fST for each extension.
First a player must encourage the merchant with a reaction check of 4 or 
more (Talent mods apply).
Then the merchant must pass a disbelieve check at minus 1 per point of 
fatigue past his winded level.
He will collapse if his fST reaches 1 and cannot continue until he recovers 
at least half his fST after which he can be encouraged to continue as above.
Each time the party stops for rest an encounter check is made on a d6.
On the longer route encounters result on a roll of 1 and become hostile on a 
reaction check of 1 or 2.
On the shorter route encounters occur on a roll of 1 or 2 and become hostile 
on a reaction check of 3 or less.
The merchants out of shape condition effectively eliminates the option of 
fleeing combat but calls for assistance or the like may be responded to by 
1d3 Figures using the same odds as those for an encounter on the route with 
hostile reactions joining the attacking NPCs.
Hostile NPCs are 32pt Figures with 1 Figure per party member +1 Figure to 
the NPC group on the long route if the reaction roll was a 1 and on the 
shorter route a reaction roll of 1 is +2 Figures and a roll of 2 is +1 
Figure added to the NPC party.
NPCs are typically armed with one or two handed clubs or the occasional 
knife, staff, hatchet, or similar makeshift type weapon and wear no armor.
The roadway along which the party travels is usually about 30 feet across (7 
hexes) and usually bordered by hedges, fences, etc. if not buildings 
themselves.
I used the Death Test map for encounters.

Upon reaching the wharf throw 3d6 and multiply by 10 minutes to determine 
when the ship leaves/left.
Travel time + rest time + combat time = total party travel time.
In photo finish type situations where the party is just a little behind the 
ship I allow about 20 minutes for the captain to clear the harbor so a party 
just a couple of minutes late may still be able to flag down the ship before 
shes completely gone.


So of course as I am writing this an episode of Stan Lees Superhumans comes 
on with this fella Dean Karnazes who ran 80 miles in about 12 hours (nearing 
a 7mph pace or ~12MA) with no fatigue.

660 feet (an eighth of a mile, a furlong, the long distance across an acre 
or a football field, either international or american w/end-zones) in 5 
seconds is 90 mph.
Useful for stuff like a Cops type scenario with the players as the bad 
boys.
With access to thoroughbred type horses that eight of a mile takes about two 
turns, maybe three for a more typical saddle horse.
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