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Swimming While Holding Your Breath


bigdamnhero

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I was playing around to see how long/how far my PCs could swim while holding their breath, and how that compares to the typical person. (Why, you ask? Oh, no particular reason, just wondering... :sneaky: )

 

6e1 p130 says a character holding their breath "expends a minimum of 1 END per Phase" which is in addition to other END costs (per Steve). Ignoring Encumbrance and so forth, Swimming costs 1 END per 10 AP, which means 1 END per Phase for most heroic characters. So Swimming while holding your breath costs 2 END per Phase.

 

So Joe Normal comes with 4m Swimming, SPD 2, 20 END & 20 STUN:

  • Assume NCM => 8m per Phase => 16m per Turn
  • Burns 4 END per Turn
  • Can go 5 Turns on END => 80m
  • Then another 5 Turns on STUN => 80m
  • 10 Turns = 120s = 2 minutes
  • => 160m total before passing out

I swim like a rock so I may not be the best judge, but 2 minutes and 160 meters underwater seems like kindof a lot? A quick websearch sez an average person can hold their breath for 2 minutes, but that's while not moving. Of course, most people holding their breath in the pool are probably smart enough to quit when they run out of END...

 

Meanwhile Jane Above Average has bought her stats up to 6m Swimming, SPD 3, 30 END & 30 STUN

  • Assume NCM => 12m per Phase => 36m per Turn
  • Burns 6 END per Turn
  • Can go 5 Turns on END => 180m
  • Then another 5 Turns on STUN => 180m
  • 10 Turns = 120s = 2 minutes
  • => 360m total before passing out

Or she could reduce her SPD to 2 to conserve END, which means she could hold her breath for 15 Turns (3 minutes), but would still cover 360m.

 

I was also curious how much one point of LS: Extended Breathing (1 END per Turn) would change this. So Joe Normal now burns 3 END per Turn (2 from Swimming, one from holding his breath), which means he can now hold his breath for a little over 13 Turns and cover 213m. Jane Above Ave now burns 4 END per Turn, can go for 15 Turns and can cover 540m!

 

 

So first off, am I calculating all this right? And second, what do you think of those times & distances?

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Looks about right, but you have to remember, Hero games simulates heroic characters, so they're going to be able to do more than the average bear.  This simulates the genre material you're playing, not real life.  In the heroic movies and literature, people are able to act and fight and swim and hold their breath for quite a while without passing out and drowning, so that's what you get in Hero games.

 

If you wanted a really gritty game you could add a greater penalty, such as 1 END/5 active points, which would effectively double the exertion cost of doing anything except treading water or floating.  That would make things go a lot faster.

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Yeah, "Joe Normal" in old school HERO terms is actually 8 in all primary characteristics with appropriate figured ones (though still SPD 2), so won't quite do as well. But for the purpose of the exercise we'll use a fit and healthy adult in prime condition, which is what the base stats of 10 actually represent.

 

However, burning STUN is NOT meant to be a routine thing, even when not drowning, and in most cases is going to require EGO rolls to avoid trying to get to the surface (obviously not required if the character is unable to do so, though there's always the panic factor...)

 

You've also miscalculated how burning STUN works. If the character has 20 STUN and is burning 2 END a Phase, they'll need to roll 1d6 no defense STUN damage a Phase to pay for it... they're likely to run out in only three Turns, and may well do so sooner if they're unlucky.

 

Guiness lists the record as 200m:

 

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-distance-swam-underwater-with-one-breath

 

Which seems to square with the numbers.

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However, burning STUN is NOT meant to be a routine thing, even when not drowning, and in most cases is going to require EGO rolls to avoid trying to get to the surface (obviously not required if the character is unable to do so, though there's always the panic factor...)

 

I agree. Burning stun while holding your breath is definitely into the 'your vision is going black' territory.  Most people don't have the willpower to resist taking a breath when that starts to happen - even if it means drowning.

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Yeah, "Joe Normal" in old school HERO terms is actually 8 in all primary characteristics with appropriate figured ones (though still SPD 2), so won't quite do as well. .

True. Someone with 16 END & STUN would come in at more like 8 Turns & 120m.

 

However, burning STUN is NOT meant to be a routine thing, even when not drowning, and in most cases is going to require EGO rolls to avoid trying to get to the surface (obviously not required if the character is unable to do so, though there's always the panic factor...)

Agreed. That's typically only going to be a life-or-death thing, not a "Watch how long I can hold my breath" thing.

 

You've also miscalculated how burning STUN works. If the character has 20 STUN and is burning 2 END a Phase, they'll need to roll 1d6 no defense STUN damage a Phase to pay for it... they're likely to run out in only three Turns, and may well do so sooner if they're unlucky.

Ah, I felt like I was missing something, thanks! I've usually just burned 1 STUN for 1 END for simplicity's sake, but you're right. (And in this case I think adding a certain amount of uncertainty to the equation is a good thing.

 

Revising the numbers based on an average of 3.5 STUN rolled each Phase:

  • Johnny Eights lasts 78 seconds (Turn 7), covers 104m
  • Joe Normal goes 96 seconds (Turn 8), covers 128m
  • Jane Heroic also makes it 96 seconds (Turn 8), but covers 288m
  • or if Jane reduces to SPD 2, she lasts 144 seconds (Turn 12), but still covers 288m

Thanks again, those numbers seem like a much better fit!

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Yeah. It's always a good idea to reality check a system, if only to know where the quirks are. 

 

As you noted for Jane Heroic, for the purposes of the maximum distance travelled Speed is irrelevant, since holding your breath precludes Recovery. It will just come down to END, STUN and Swimming amount. Speed used will determine how fast you cover the distance though, so in most cases you may as well use full speed, especially if time is of the essence or there ARE Per Turn effects in play.

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