The best Mental Model for Strength is Work in my opinion. What I mean by work, the SI unit or Watts. There is a an amount of Work or Strength relative to what counts as Endurance.
Other Usefulness of Strength as Wattage
- How much Watts an Oar Rower Can generate for Ships.
- Marching and Logistics.
- Measuring Degrees of Labor for measuring PC activities.
- Digging
- Carrying loads
- Simplifying a Variety of Work
- How much Force can be generated by an Action, and how many instances of that action can be repeated. Imagine using this to find out how much force a character can generate throw an object with variable mass and bulk. See below for various forces.
Off the top of my head I can think of several examples of Force or Joules.
- 1-2J Legal Limit Airsoft
- 7J Paintball
- 50J Commotio Cordis
- 180J A Swung Bat or Sword
- 550J typical 9mm Pistol
Anyway that is my thesis for Strength, and it applies to Endurance as well. While strength is more of Maximum Outputs, Endurance is energy Storage and replenishment ability. You will notice it in the methodology of Fatigue Saves.
I find Strength and Endurance, effort in general, is like a “cashflow problem” or what my brother-in-law calls a “money sync” situation. Having the mental model present in my thinking helps me judge activities and strategies of actions and efforts. I know this is a an “acquired taste” among gamers so I don’t hard sell it to players. Still there is a benefit in being able to juggle the concept.
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