Adverse conditions

[Pen'n'paper remnant]

Electricity
Being subject to an electrical current has a number of effects. Maybe the worst among these is paralysis. The characters muscles contract, making it hard for him/her to let go of the conductor. Only if a test against stamina is passed can the character break free on his/her own. This test may be repeated every game turn. As long as the current flows through the body of the character, the risk of suffering a heart attack rises. To simulate this, for every 100 Volts he/she suffers one shock point per turn. As soon as these add up to the life total of the character, the heart attack occurs. If not treated by first aid or medicine, the character dies after 2d10 minutes. Shock points do not count as damage, though the current will exert physical damage in the form of burns. The character suffers one point of damage for every 300 volts per turn. These count as regular wounds.

Fire
The problem with fire is heat. How much heat a fire radiates depends on its size. The larger a fire, the more damage it deals. A small fire, e. g. a camp fire or a trash bin set alight deals two points of damage per turn. A medium fire like a burning car or a bonfire deals four points of damage per turn. A large fire, anything the size of a burning house or bigger, deals eight points of damage per turn. This applies as long as a character is in contact with fire, standing near one is harmless no matter how big it is.

[Pen'n'paper remnant]

Suffocation
Suffocating and drowning are basically the same. Any character can hold his/her breath for a number of combat phases equal to stamina divided by two rounded up. If they took a deep breath, they can do so double the time. After this period, they must perform a test against intelligence to determine if they can suppress the respiration reflex for another combat phase. If this fails, the character inhales water or whatever medium he/she moves through. From now on the character will suffer two suffocation points per combat phase. If these add up to the life total of the character, he/she will suffocate. If not treated by first aid or medicine, the character dies after 2d10 minutes. Suffocation points do not count as damage.

Toxins
The world offers an almost endless variety of substances toxic to the human body. From snakes poison to carbon monoxide they are introduced to the organism in countless ways and have countless effects. To keep game mechanics simple, all toxins are treated in the same way. A roll using 1d10 is employed to determine how many turns the substance needs to take full effect. If treated by first aid or medicine within this period, the character can still be saved from damage. After the intoxication became acute, the character loses 1d6 hit points per turn. In this stage, he/she can only be saved by using medicine. Wearing protective gear obviates intoxication.

Tear gas
This stuff is designed to provoke irritations in the victims eyes and lungs, causing tears and coughing. A roll using 1d4 is employed to determine after how many game turns the substance takes full effect. Affected characters lose 50% of their perception and stamina. This holds on for 1d10 game turns after leaving the contaminated area or the gas is dispersed by wind after 2 game turns. While tear gas is not intended to be lethal, a character may suffocate if exposed to it in an enclosed space.

[Pen'n'paper remnant]

Hunger, thirst
If cut off from food or water for more than one day, characters suffer one distress point for hunger and/or two distress points for thirst per day. If these add up to the life total of the character, he/she dies. Distress points do not count as damage.

Cold, heat
If subjected to extreme temperatures without proper clothing or means of keeping cool, characters suffer three distress points per day. If these add up to the life total of the character, he/she dies. Distress points do not count as damage.

Infections
The common cold is nothing to worry about in an RPG. This section covers festering wounds and severe conditions like malaria or spanish influenza.
To determine whether a wound festers or not, a test against stamina if untreated or stamina plus fife if treated by first aid is employed every week during the healing process. Wounds treated by medicine will not fester. If a wound festers, it will no longer regenerate hit points until the infection gets better. At the beginning of each week a test against stamina, or stamina plus seven if a physician is available, determines whether the character gets well within this week or not. If one of these rolls fail, the character suffers one infection point. If these add up to the life total of the character, he/she dies. Infection points do not count as damage.
Unlike festering wounds, there is no way of treating infectious diseases before they become acute. This is simply due to the fact that no physician can cure a condition he does not know to be there. The opportunities to catch such an infection are legion, especially in tropical environments. If characters come into contact with infected persons or stay in potentially hazardous environments without protective gear, appropriate precautions or insect repellent, a weekly test against stamina determines whether they become infected. A condition caught this way is treated the same as a festering wound.

[Mortarios]

Cold, heat
If subjected to extreme temperatures without proper clothing or means of keeping cool, characters suffer three distress points per day. If these add up to the life total of the character, he/she dies. Distress points do not count as damage.

What if the temperature is changing? If I stay out during a cold night and I suffer 1 or 2 distress points (half a day), but then it becomes warmer again. Do the Points disappear or do I count on when it's getting too cold again?

[Pen'n'paper remnant]

Distress points are set to zero as soon as the conditions spawning them are no longer met. This of course goes for suffocation points, shock points and infection points alike.