#4 Hardiness Training Methods

Contents

⚠ Not a school. Presupposes Master (4 points) or above in Hardiness (剛健, mapped to Physique).

#§ Scent — What Hardiness Cultivation Is

Hardiness is not toughness. Rather than not breaking, it is knowing the limit of yourself that may break. So Hardiness cultivation is knowing the limits of your own body precisely.

#§ Law — The 4 Training Methods

#20-04-01. Adamantine-Body Cultivation (金剛身修行) — Personal Transmission · China · India · Japan

Cultural origin: a shared idea of Shaolin Boxing · Indian yoga · Japanese esoteric Buddhism. Making the body as hard as adamantine (金剛, diamond). Refining breath + stance.

Approach: Hardiness Master + 13-01 Shaolin Boxing or 17-04-03 Qi Perception or learning from an esoteric monk (04-05) + 5 or more sessions.

Main effect [aptitude] — Adamantine Body:

Trauma damage -2 (1 time per 1 combat).
Recovery check +1.
After use, one-breath limit -1 for the next 1 session (backlash).

Achievement narrative: the PC becomes a "hard body." But at the same time they are also "one who has lost flexibility." Evasion -1 (permanent).

#20-04-02. Desert Austerity (沙漠苦行) — Foreign Training · Arab · Sufi

Cultural origin: the austerity of Arab Sufis · Christian desert fathers. Self-discipline amid lack of water · food. A 30-day desert fast and the like.

Approach: Hardiness Master + desert origin or Foreign Adaptation (Arab) + a 1st desert 30-day austerity (scenario event).

Main effect [aptitude] — Discipline of Lack:

Immunity to lack of drinking water · food (1 week).
Hardiness check +2 (extreme environments).
Adaptation -1 to social environments (banquets · festivals) (idea of abstinence).

Achievement narrative: the PC becomes "one strong against lack." But abundance is their own enemy. Branching to the Renown Title "Path of the Sufi" becomes possible.

#20-04-03. Northern Endurance (北方忍苦) — Foreign Training · Siberia · Norse

Cultural origin: the cold-zone (寒帶) adaptation of northern Siberian · Norse tribes. Ice-water immersion + outdoor sleep. Immunity to cold.

Approach: Hardiness Master + northern origin or Foreign Adaptation (north) + residing 5 or more sessions in a cold zone.

Main effect [aptitude] — Discipline of Cold:

In cold-zone environments, Hardiness check +3 · immunity to Qi-Exhaustion.
Tropical environments -2 (cold adaptation).
Resistance +1 to spiritual effects (Fear · hallucination).

Achievement narrative: the PC becomes a "child of the north." But in southern lands adaptation is difficult.

#20-04-04. Fasting Cultivation (斷食修行) — Oral Mind-Method · Universal Religion

Cultural origin: fasting of various religions, such as the Catholic Lent · Islamic Ramadan · Buddhist fasts. Refining mind · body.

Approach: Hardiness Master + religious Faith + a 1-week fast over 1 session (scenario event).

Main effect [aptitude] — Discipline of Fasting:

During a fast (1 time per 1 week) mental effects +2 (concentration · Bearing).
After a fast, Wounds +2 recovery (self-healing of trauma · internal injury).
No bonus outside of fasting. No everyday bonus.

Achievement narrative: the PC becomes a "master of abstinence." But everyday life is ordinary. Rapport +1 with religious NPCs.

#§ Design Perspective

4 training-method types: Personal Transmission 1 + Foreign Training 2 + Oral Mind-Method 1.
Diversity of ideas: Adamantine Body (body) · desert (lack) · north (cold) · fasting (abstinence) — 4 different ideas of Hardiness.
Benefit + cost: all have a limited benefit + a clear cost.

"Toughness is the road to breaking all at once. Only one who knows how to break rises again."