Success Rolls- B343

When the GM Rolls - B344

  • When the character wouldn't know for sure whether he had succeeded
  • When the player shouldn't know what's going on

Default Rolls: Rule of 20 - B344

Base attributes over 20 are treated as 20 for default purposes

Equipment Modifiers - B344

  • No equipment: -10 for technological skills, -5 for other skills (assuming it is possible at all)
  • Improvised: -5 for technological skills, -2 for others
  • Basic: no modifier
  • Good-quality: +1. Costs about 5x basic
  • Fine-quality: +2. Costs about 20x basic
  • Best-quality: +TL/2, round down.
  • Missing important items: -1 per item
  • Damaged equipment: -1 to -3

Task Difficulty - B345

  • +10 - Automatic - start a car
  • +8/+9 - Trivial - Drive in an empty parking lot
  • +6/+7 - Very Easy - Drive down a suburban street
  • +4/+5 - Easy - Drive to work in a small town
  • +2/+3 - Very Favorable - Drive to work in a metropolis
  • +1 - Favorable - Compete in a road rally
  • 0 - Average - Car chase
  • -1 - Unfavorable - High-speed car chase
  • -2/-3 - Very Unfavorable - High-speed car chase on a busy freeway
  • -4/-5 - Hard - Driving while shooting a gun out the window during a high-speed chase
  • -6/-7 - Very Hard - High-speed car chase during a blizzard
  • -8/-9 - Dangerous - Driving with knees while firing a bazooka two-handed during a chase through a blizzard

Time Spent - B346

  • Extra Time: 2x gives +1, 4x gives +2, 8x gives +3, 15x gives +4, 30x gives +5
  • Haste: -1 per -10% (max -9)

Long Tasks- B346

For tasks requiring many hours work, roll per worker per day (usually 8 hours of work). Success gives full credit, critical success gives 150%. Failure gives 50%. Critical failure ruins 2d hours. Supervisor may roll vs. Administration (organization) or Leadership (inspiration) to give +1 (+2 on critical success) for each worker's roll.

Critical Success or Failure - B347

  • 3/4 - always crit success
  • 5/6 - may be crit success if effective skill is 15/16 respectively
  • 13/14/15/16 - may be crit failure if effective skill is 13/14/15/16 respectively
  • 17 - crit failure if effective skill is <= 15
  • 18 - crit failure

Regular Contests - B349

Roll each turn, if one succeeds and the other fails then we have a winner.

Extreme Scores
  • both are 6 or less: raise the lower score to 10, add the same to the higher score.
  • both have 14 or more: reduce the lower score to 10, subtract the same from the higher score.
  • both greater than 20: reduce the lower score to 10, multiply the higher by 10/lower

Physical Feats - B349

DX for matters of precision, HT for feats of endurance.

Climbing - B349

Subtract encumbrance from level. Roll at the start and every five minutes. Failure means you fall.
Type of Climb ModifierSorted ascending Combat Regular
Rope-down      
Vertical Stone Wall -3 1ft/5 sec 4 ft/min
Modern Building -3 1 ft/10 sec 2 ft/min
Rope-up -2 1 ft/sec 20 ft/min
(w/o equipment) -1 2 ft/sec 30 ft/min
(w/ equipment) -1 12 ft/sec 12 ft/sec
Ordinary Mountain 0 1 ft/2 sec 10 ft/min
Ordinary Tree +5 1 ft/sec 1 ft/3 sec
Ladder going up no roll 3 rungs/sec 1 rung/sec
Ladder going down no roll 2 rungs/sec 1 rung/sec
LT 98: Hand and Footwear: Items made expressly for climbing give +1 to skill. Count as good quality: +4 CF.

Digging - B350

  • Loose Soil, Sand, etc: 2xBL cubic feet per hour
  • Ordinary Soil BL cf/hr or pick 4xBL cf/hr (turns into loose soil)
  • Hard Soil, Clay, etc. Must be broken up with pick, at 2xBL cf/hr then shoveled at 2xBL cf/hr
  • Hard Rock: Must be broken up with pick: BL cf/hr, then shoveled at BL cf/hr
Times assume steel tools. Wooden double times. Improvised tools take 4 times as long. Each hour costs 1 FP for loose soil, 2 FP for ordinary, 3 FP for hard and 4 FP for rock.

Hiking - B351

The distance in miles in one day under favorable conditions is 10 x Move. Roll against Hiking to increase by 20%. Leadership 12 allows rolling once against average Hiking skill for the group. This assumes full day spent resting, preparing, and hiking.

Terrain
  • Very Bad: Deep snow, dense forest, mountains, swamp: x1/5
  • Bad: Broken ground, forest, steep hills: x1/2
  • Average: Light Forest or rolling hills: x1
  • Good: Hard-packed desert or level plains: x1.25
Weather
  • Rain: half off-road speed (but only for good roads)
  • Snow: 1/2 speed for ankle-deep. 1/4 for anything deeper
  • Ice: 1/2 speed
Roads
  • Most roads count as Average terrain in good weather, or even Good for exceptional roads
  • In rain, low-quality roads turn to mud - Very Bad terrain. Better roads count as Average.
  • Snow/Ice: roads are Average terrain.

Holding Your Breath - B351

  • No Exertion (sitting quietly): HTx10 sec.
  • Mild Exertion (walking): HTx4 sec.
  • Heavy Exertion (combat): HT sec.
  • Once time has expired, lose 1 FP/sec. When at 0 FP roll vs Will every second or lose consciousness.

Jumping - B352

  • High Jump: (6 x Basic Move) - 10 inches. Add movement when running (can go up to twice standing jump).
  • Broad Jump: (2 x Basic Move) - 3 feet. Add movement when running (can go up to twice standing jump).
  • Must make DX roll for long jumps. Especially tricky jumps give -1 to -5.
  • Jumping over obstacle in combat costs one extra movement point.

Lifting and Moving Things - B353

  • One-Handed Lift: 1xBL (one second) or 2xBL (two seconds)
  • Two-Handed Lift: 8xBL (four seconds)
  • Shove and Knock Over: 12xBL. Double if running start.
  • Carry on Back: 15xBL. Costs 1 FP/sec when over 10xBL.
  • Shift Slightly: 50xBL.
  • Pulling/Dragging: Adds to encumbrance. On smooth and level surface divide weight by 2.

Running - B354

  • Sprinting: Add 20% to move after first second. Roll HT every 15 sec or lose 1 FP.
  • Paced Running: 1/2 sprinting speed. Roll HT every minute or lose 1 FP.

Swimming - B354

  • Roll Swimming when entering and every 5 minutes or inhale water: lose 1 FP, roll again in 5 sec.
  • Modifiers: +3 if entered water intentionally, -2x encumbrance level.
  • Every minute roll vs HT or Swimming or lose 1 FP.
  • Lifesaving: Swimming -5. On failure inhale water, lose 1 FP, may try again in one minute.

Throwing / Catching - B355

  • Can throw anything you can lift
  • DX-3 to hit specific target, DX to hit general area.
  • Catching: Roll DX to catch object thrown toyou (at -4 if not waiting)
    • +1 per 2 full points by which the thrower made his throw.
    • Counts as parry with catching hand
  • More information on specific distances / damage in the book.

Extra Effort - B356

  • Can use extra effort to increase Basic Lift (digging/lifting), mileage (hiking), Move (running/swimming), distance (jumping), and ST (throwing, single roll).
  • Will roll at -1 per 5% increase, with additional -1 penalty per missing FP.
  • Costs 1 FP per roll.
  • Additional detail on specific tasks in the book.

Sense Rolls - B358

Hearing - B358

This table lists distance to hear sounds at no penalty. Each step closer gives +1, each step further away penalizes -1.
Sound Range (yards)
Leaves rustling 1/4
Quiet conversation 1/2
Normal conversation 1
Light traffic 2
Loud conversation 4
Noisy office 8
Normal traffic 16
"Quiet" rock band 32
Heavy traffic 64
Jet takeoff 128
Very loud rock band 256
Metallica 512

Influence Rolls - B359

Will Rolls - B360

Fright Checks - B360

  • Rule of 14: If modified Will exceeds 13, reduce to 13 (roll of 14 automatically fails)
  • Heat of Battle: +5
  • Hordes of Monsters: -1 for 5, -2 for 10, -3 for 20, -4 for 50, -5 for 100
  • Physical Circumstances: -1 if touches you. +1 if far away (100 yards), -1 if night, -2 if alone.
  • Preparation: +1 if previous experience with this type of threat. +1 to +3 if know details of this particular situation.

Injuries, Illness, and Fatigue- B418

Injuries - B418

Mainly caused by penetrating damage, but can also be from disease, overexertion, etc.

General Injury: Lost Hit Points - B419

  • < 1/3 HP - Halve Move/Dodge (round up)
  • <= 0 HP - HT roll at start of turn (-1 per full multiple of HP below 0) or fall unconscious. Can Do Nothing (& no defense) to avoid roll.
  • -1xHP - Immediate HT roll or die (miss by 1 or 2: you have a Mortal Wound see B423). Again at every multiple of HP (no additional penalty).
  • -5xHP - Die.
  • -10xHP - Total Destruction.

Shock - B419

Any injury causes shock: reduce DX&IQ by HP lost (up to 4) on next turn only. Does not affect active defense.

High HP: Shock penalty is -1 per HP/10 injury (drop fractions).

Major Wounds - B420

Any single injury > 1/2 HP or any crippling injury. Requires roll to avoid Knockdown and Stunning.

Bleeding (optional) - B420

Roll HT every minute, at -1 per 5 HP lost. Fail: lose 1 HP, Crit Fail: lose 3 HP, Success: no bleeding (3 in a row: bleeding stops), Crit Success: bleeding stops. GM decides which wounds bleed.

Knockdown and Stunning - B420

Any major wound, or head/vitals strike which is enough to cause shock. Immediate HT roll.
  • -5 Major wound to face/vitals
  • -10 Major wound to skull/eye
  • +3 High Pain Threshold
  • -4 Low Pain Threshold
Failure: physically stunned, fall prone, drop anything you're holding. Fail by <= 5: unconscious.*Stun*: Do Nothing on your next turn. Active defenses at -4. Roll HT at the end of your turn to recover.

Crippling Injury - B420

  • Limb: > HP/2
  • Extremity: > HP/3
  • Eye: > HP/10
Injury over minimum required to cripple lost (except eye). If injury was 2x needed to cripple: body part is destroyed.

Crippling Extra Limbs - B421

Effects of Crippling Injury - B421

Major wound (Knockdown and Stunning).
  • Hand: Drop anything held. For two-handed items roll vs DX to avoid. Cannot attack with shields strapped to arm.
  • Arm: As for hand. Cannot block with shield, reduce DB by 1.
  • Foot: Fall down. May assume kneeling/sitting position.
  • Leg: Fall down. Can assume sitting position.
  • Eye: Blind in eye

Duration of Crippling Injuries - B422

Roll HT. Success = temporary, failure = lasting, crit failure = permanent. Destroyed limb = permanent.Temporary crippling lasts until HP is full. Lasting lasts 1d months.

Mortal Wounds - B423

Fail HT roll to avoid death by 1 or 2. Instantly incapacitated. Immediately die on any further failure on HT roll to avoid death. Roll HT every 1/2 hour or die. Crit success = no longer mortally wounded. Surgery may be able to stabilize - B424. If recover roll vs HT: failure = lose 1 HT permanently.

Death - B423

Recovery - B423

Recovering from Unconcsiousness - B423

  • 1 HP or more: awaken automatically in 15 minutes
  • -1xHP: HT roll to awaken every hour
  • >= -1xHP: single HT roll to awaken after 12 hours. If fail, roll HT every 12 hours or die (see Stabilizing a Mortal Wound, B424).

Natural Recovery - B424

Every day of rest and decent food, roll HT to recover 1 HP

High HP and Healing - B424

Increase all healing rates to HP/10, dropping fractions.

First Aid - B424

Bandaging - B424

Takes 1 minute, restores 1 HP. If using bleeding, a successful First Aid roll within a minute indicates no loss of HP from bleeding.

Treating Shock - B424

See first aid table. HP restored includes the 1 HP for bandaging. Crit success = maximum HP restored. Crit failure = 2 HP lost.
Tech Level Time per Victim HP Restored
0-1 30 min 1d-4
2-3 30 min 1d-3
4 30 min 1d-2
5 20 min 1d-2
6-7 20 min 1d-1
8 10 min 1d
9+ 10 min 1d+1

Surgery - B424

See Surgery skill (B223). Equipment: -6 TL1, -5 TL2-3, -4 TL4, -2 TL5, +(TL-6) otherwise. Equipment Modifiers: -2 at TL5+ for no anesthetic. Infection: Before TL5, may get infected (B444).

Stabilizing a Mortal Wound - B424

Takes 1 hour per attempt. -2 if -3xHP or worse, -4 if -4xHP or worse. Repeated attempts at cumualative -2 per attempt. Also see Resuscitation (B425).

Repairing Lasting Crippling Injuries - B424

Two hours. Success = months turn to weeks of recover. Crit fail = permanent.

Repairing Permanent Crippling Injuries - B424

TL7+. Details up to GM. -3 or worse to skill, requires 1d months between attempts.

Medical Care - B424

If under care of Physician skill 12+, get +1 to recover rolls. Physician may make rolls to cure patient (see table). Success = 1 HP recoverd, Crit success = 2 HP recovered. Crit fail = 1 HP lost. Must have proper equipment.
Med TL Freq of Rolls Patients per Doctor
0 NA NA
1-3 Weekly 10
4 3 days 10
5 2 days 15
6 Daily 20
7 Daily 25
8 Daily 50
9 2xDaily 50
10 3xDaily 50
11 4xDaily 100
12+ 5xDaily 200

Resuscitation - B425

TL7+ Physician or First Aid (-4). 1 min per attempt. Repeated attempts possible. CPR after 1960 improve First Aid rolls to -2 for drowning/asphyxiation.

Fatigue - B426

Lost Fatigue Points - B426

  • < 1/3 FP - Halve Move, Dodge, ST (round up). Does not affect ST-based quantities, such as HP or damage.
  • <= 0 FP - Each further FP lost causes 1 HP injury. Must make Will roll to make a combat maneuver other than Do Nothing. On failure, collapse incapacitated until recover to positive FP. Crit fail = heart attack (see Mortal Conditions B429).
  • -1xFP - Fall unconscious. Awake when reach positive FP. FP can never fall below this level (additional FP loss is taken off HP only).

Fatigue Costs - B426

Fighting a Battle - B426

If battle lasts > 10 sec < 2-3 minutes:
  • No Encumbrance: 1 FP
  • Light Encumbrance: 2 FP
  • Medium Encumbrance: 3 FP
  • Heavy Encumbrance: 4 FP
  • Extra-Heavy Encumbrance: 5 FP
Hot day: +1 FP/ +2 FP if in plate/overcoat.

Hiking - B426

As per fighting a battle, but per hour of road travel.

Overexertion - B426

Carrying more than extra-heavy load costs 1 FP / sec. Also see Extra Effort (B356)

Running or Swimming - B426

Roll HT to avoid losing 1 FP for 15 seconds of sprinting/ minute paced running.

Starving and Dehydration - B426

Starvation - B426

Each missed meal costs 1 FP. Can only recover with a full day of rest and three full meals (up to 3/ day).

Dehydration - B426

A human needs 2 quarts of water per day - 3 in hot climate, 5 in desert. Lose 1 FP every 8 hours for less. Lose extra 1 FP and 1 HP per day if less than 1 quart. Can recover all lost FP with a day of rest with ample water. HP recovers normally.

Missed Sleep - B426

Multiple advantages/disadvantages modify normal sleep requirements.

Staying Up Late - B427

Lose 1 FP per 1/4 day awake more than normal day (usually 16 hours). Once lost <= 1/2 FP due to missed sleep, roll WIll every 2 hours spent inactive or fall asleep. Success: -2 DX, IQ, Self Control. Failure: fall asleep. Once down to < 1/3 FP due to lack of sleep, roll every 30 minutes of inaction, or 2 hours of action.

Getting Up Early - B427

Subtract 2x hours missed sleep from normal day.

Recovering From Fatigue - B427

Recover 1 FP / 10 minutes of rest. Recover an extra FP for eating a decent meal while resting. FP lost due to missed sleep, starvation, or dehydration can only be recovered as described in those sections.

Hazards - B428

Acid - B428

Splashed with strong acid: 1d-3 corr. If on face roll HT to avoid eye damage. Failure = damage to eyes. Immersed in acid: 1d-1 corr / sec (if face immersed, roll for eye damage also). Swallows acid: 3d corr at 1 HP per 15 minutes. Physician / Poisons roll to halt (takes 2d minutes). Acid can eat through small items in 3d minutes. Vial of acid available at TL3, costs $10.

Afflictions - B428

HT roll to resist in most cases.

Irritating Conditions - B428

  • Coughing or Sneezing: -3 DX, -1 IQ. No stealth.
  • Drowsy: Will roll every 2 hours to stay awake if inactive. -2 DX, IQ, self-control.
  • Drunk: -2 DX, IQ. -4 self-control except to resist Cowardice. Reduce Shyness by two levels if have.
  • Euphoria: -3 DX, IQ, self-control
  • Nauseated: -2 all attributes, -1 active defense. Roll HT after eating, exposure to foul odor, fail a Fight Check, stunned, 1/2 hour in free fall or situation which could cause motion sickness. Failure vomit for (25-HT) seconds (see Retching, below). Rich meal gives -2, anti-nausia meds give +2.
  • Pain: Penalty to DX, IQ, skills, self-control. -2 moderate, -4 severe, -6 terrible. High Pain Threshold halves penalties, Low Pain Threshold doubles.
  • Tipsy: -1 DX, IQ, -2 self-control except to resist Cowardace. Reduce Shyness one level if have.

Incapacitating Conditions - B428

All of these prevent taking voluntary actions. Effectively stunned (-4 to active defense). If allows drop, can reduce posture (kneel, sit if standing). If allows stagger, can drop, change facing, step or crawl one yard.
  • Agony: Can do nothing but moan or scream. Fall down. Lose 1 FP / min. After recovery, credible threat of resumption gives +3 to Interrogation/Intimidation. Low Pain Threshold doubles FP loss and torture bonus. High Pain Threshold negates, but still at -3 DX/IQ.
  • Choking: Can do nothing but drop. See Suffocation B436. First Aid (-2 before TL7) by other to clear, takes 2 seconds.
  • Daze: Can do nothing. If struck, slapped, or shaken recover on next turn.
  • Exstasy: Treat as agony. Neither Low Pain Threshold nor High Pain Threshold have any effect. Instead of bonus to torture, +3 to any Influence roll. Killjoy immune.
  • Hallucinating: Can try to act: roll Will before each success roll. Success: 2d seconds disorientation (-2 to success rolls). Failure: 1d minutes hallucination (-5 to success rolls)., Crit fail: Freak out for 3d minutes (GM choice).
  • Paralysis: Cannot move: fall over if not balanced. Can perform actions which do not require movement.
  • Retching: -5 to DX, IQ, Per. Automatically fail any Concentrate maneuver. Lose 1 FP at end of condition. Gain no benefit from recent meals or oral medication.
  • Seizuire: Fall down. Can do nothing. Lose 1d FP at end of seizure.
  • Unconsciousness: Knocked out as per injury.

Mortal Conditions - B428

  • Coma: Collapse as if at -1xHP and unconscious (one HT roll at 12 hours to wake up). HT roll every 12 hours or die.
  • Heart Attack: Immediately drop to -1xFP. Die in HT/3 unless resuscitated. Positive HP drop to 0.

Hazardous Atmospheres [TODO] - B429

Atmospheric Pressure [TODO] - B429

Cold - B430

HT or HT-based survival (Arctic) roll every 30 minutes in "normal" freezing weather (usually below 35F). Light wind (10+ mph) roll every 15 minutes, strong wind (30+ mph) 10 minutes. Failure costs 1 FP. FP recovery requires shelter and heat source.
Situation HT modifier
Light clothing -5
Winter clothing 0
Arctic clothing +5
Heated suit +10
Wet clothes additional -5
per 10F below 0F -1
Thermal Shock: Sudden immersion in freezing waters without adequat protection: roll HT 1/min with no clothing bonus/penalty. Success costs 1FP, failure costs FP equal to margin of failure.

Collisions and Falls - B430

Damage from Collisions - B430

Inflict dice of crushing equal to (HP x velocity)/100. Bullet-shaped, sharp, spiked: 1/2 damage, but it is piercing, cutting or impaling.

Immovable Objects - B431

Moving object inflicts collision damage on itself and immovable object
  • Hard Object: Use 2xHP of moving object to calculate damage. Ordinary soil, sand, concrete are all "hard".
  • Soft Object: Normal damage. Elastic objects have DR against collision damage (DR 2 feather bed, DR 10 net/trampoline/airbag). Water entry requires Swimming roll at velocity penalty from Size and Speed/Range Table (B550).

Falling - B431

Fall Velocity   Fall Velocity   Fall Velocity   Fall Velocity
1 yd 5 13-14 yds 17 35-37 yds 28 68-71 yds 39
2 yds 7 15 yds 18 38-39 yds 29 72-75 yds 40
3 yds 8 16-17 yds 19 40-42 yds 30 76-79 yds 41
4 yds 9 18-19 yds 20 43-45 yds 31 80-82 yds 42
5 yds 10 20-21 yds 21 46-48 yds 32 83-86 yds 43
6 yds 11 22-23 yds 22 49-51 yds 33 87-90 yds 44
7 yds 12 24-25 yds 23 52-54 yds 34 91-95 yds 45
8 yds 13 26-27 yds 24 55-57 yds 35 96-99 yds 46
9 yds 14 28-29 yds 25 58-61 yds 36 100-103 yds 47
10-11 yds 15 30-32 yds 26 62-64 yds 37 104-108 yds 48
12 yds 16 33-34 yds 27 65-67 yds 38 109-112 yds 49
  • Falls and Armor: Armor counts as "flexible" for falls (suffer 1 HP per 5 damage stopped). Innate DR does not protect.
  • Controlled Falls: Successful Acrobatics roll to subtract 5 yds from fall. Cannot be combined with Swimming roll to attempt water entry.
  • Terminal Velocity: Typically 60-100 yds/sec. 200 yds/sec or more for dense objects.

Damage from Falling Objects - B431

Calculate damage as ordinary collision using Falling Velocity Table. If object has Size Modifier >= that of victim, hit impedes victim's movement. May only move 1 yd and active defenses are at -3 for next turn.

Collision Angle - B432

Very important for rams against large creatures
  • Head-On: Velocity is sum of objects' velocities. Slower object cannot inflict more dice of damage than faster one.
  • Rear-End: Velocity is faster minus slower. Struck object cannot inflict more dice of damage than striking object.
  • Side-On and Falls: Velocity is that of striking/falling object. Struck object cannot inflict more dice of damage than striking/falling object.

Overruns - B432

If SM of striking object is 2 or more greater than struck object, then it inflicts additional thrust/cr damage for 1/2 ST (or HP). Also see Trampling (B404).

Whiplash and Collision - B432

Anyone inside a colliding object also takes damage. Seatbelts give DR 5, airbags DR 10. Knockback applies in situations where passenger is not securely strapped into an open vehicle.

Electricity [TODO] - B432

Nonlethal Electrical Damage [TODO] - B432

Lethal Electrical Damage [TODO] - B432

Flame - B433

Causes burning damage. See Hit Location (B398) for wounding effects.

Fire Sources - B433

Running through flames: 1d-3 burning damage. Spend turn in flames of ordinary intensity (or are on fire): 1d-1 burning/sec. More intense flames cause more damage: molten metal 3d. Use Large Area Injury (B400). Also see Heat (B434).
  • Incendiary Attacks: 1 point linked burning damage in addition to regular damage. Torches/flaming arrows

Making Things Burn - B433

  • Super-Flammable (black powder, ether): negligible damage (candle flame)
  • Highly Flammable (alchohol, paper, tinder): 1 point
  • Flammable (dry wood, kindling, oil): 3 points
  • Resistant (seasoned wood, clothing, rope, leather): 10 points
  • Highly Resistant (green wood, flesh): 30 points
  • Nonflammable (brick, metal, rock, fireproof synthetics): N/A
Single damage roll of amount listed ignites material immediately. If flame is incapable of inflicting enough damage to ignite on a single roll, roll 3d for every 10 seconds of contact. Items one category up ignite on 16 or less, two categories up on 6 or less. Materials directly adjacent to fire may also catch fire: roll damage normally (1d-1 for normal fire).

Catching Fire - B434

Single hit 3 or more burning damage ignites part of victim's clothing. 1d-4 burning/sec, and -2 to DX unless fire is incapable of harming target (armor). Victim may use ready maneuver and DX roll to put out flames. Single hit 10 or more ignites all clothes. 1d-1 burning/sec, -3 to DX except to put out fire. Each attempt takes three Ready maneuvers (or jump into water). Wooden shield ignited if takes 10 burning in one second. Bearer at -2 DX and takes 1d-5 burning/sec. Assumes normal clothing (not wet, fire resistant, etc).

Gravity and Acceleration [TODO] - B434

Space Adaptation Syndrom ("Space Sickness") [TODO] - B434

High Acceleration [TODO] -B434

Heat - B434

If active in temperature in top 10F of comfort zone (80F for humans), make HT or HT-based Survival (Desert) roll every 30 minutes (-1 per encumbrance level, -1 per extra 10F heat). Failure costs 1 FP, crit fail loose 1d FP. Cannot recover until in cooler surroundings. Additionally, if 0-30F over comfort zone, lose extra 1 FP whenever loosing FP due to exertion or dehydration. 31-60F lose 2 FP.
  • Intense Heat: If temp is 6x comfort zone's width over comfort zone (eg: fire), after 3xDR seconds roll HT every second or lose 1 FP.
  • Sunburn: Day in full sun without protection could cause 1d-3 damage to light-skinned person.
  • Armor: Provides DR against burning damage, but not against heat.

Pressure [TODO] - B435

The Bends [TODO] - B435

Radiation [TODO] - B435

Radiation Hazards [TODO] - B435

Effects of Radiation on Living Things [TODO] - B436

Radiation and Nonhumans [TODO] - B436

Radiation Protection [TODO] - B436

Radiation Treatment [TODO] - B436

Seasickness - B436

First day afloat: use rules for Motion Sickness disadvantage (B144), but roll at HT+5. Success of 5 or more, or crit success suffer no ill effects.

Suffocation - B436

If completely lack air (choke hold B371, after holding breath B351) lose 1 FP/sec. If drowning after failed Swimming roll, roll Swimming every 5 sec or lose 1 FP. At 0 FP roll Will every sec or fall unconscious. Recover at normal rate, wake when reach 1 FP. If went without air for more than 2 min roll vs HT to avoid permanent -1 IQ.

Vacuum [TODO] - B437

Poison - B437

Describing Poisons - B437

Poisons can have multiple sets of effects.

Delivery - B437

  • Blood Agent: must reach a mucous membrane (eyes, mouth, nose, etc) or open wound.
  • Contact Agent: must be inhaled or touch skin.
  • Digestive Agent: must be swallowed. If it has a taste, may allow Taste roll or Per-based Poisons roll at -2 (+2 per doubling of dose) to notice in time.
  • Follow-Up Poison: must be placed on a piercing or impaling weapon. If the weapon penetrates DR and does damage, the poison is delivered.
  • Respiratory Agent: must be inhaled. Improvised mask (wet towel) gives +1 HT to resist.
  • Sense-Based Agent: affects victim thorough specific sense.

Special Delivery - B438

  • Cumulative: mild in low concentrations, but becomes more harmful with continued exposure. See Drinking and Intoxication (B439) for example.
  • Persistent Gas: Typically persists for 10 sec or more, depending on wind. May leave residue on exposed surfaces until washed away.

Delay - B438

Most poisons have a delay before taking effect. Delays assume SM 0. Each +1 SM doubles delay, -1 SM halves.

Resistance Roll - B438

Some poisons allow HT roll to resist. Make roll after delay. If in poisonous environment, roll every second until poison takes effect (if poison has delay, roll after each delay period).

Effects of Poison - B438

Toxic or fatigue damage is most common effect. DR does not protect. If poison is cyclic, no healing is possible until after final cycle. Victim gets HT roll to resist after every cycle (success stops all further damage). Default duration of other effects is 1 min * margin of failure.

Cost Per Dose - B438

Often reflects difficulty of obtaining rather than effectiveness.

Dosage - B438

One dose affects one victim.
  • Contact Agent: coats or affects single hit location
  • Gases and Sprays: affects one hit location of one victim. Respiratory agents must target face. Ten doses affect everyone in 2-yard room.
  • Poisoned Weapons: one dose envenoms tip of piercing/impaling weapon. Three doses coats edge. Lasts 1 successful attack, or 3 blocked/parried ones.
  • Varying Dosage: possible for digestive agents, or when delivered by hypo. Each doubling halves delay and interval, doubles damage, -2 HT to resist, +2 rolls to detect. May be possible to reverse modifiers with smaller dose (GM's option).

Treatment - B439

Sucking poison from bite takes 1 min, requires First Aid/Physician at -2, gives +2 HT to resist.Can induce vomiting for digestive poisons (10 sec, First Aid/Physician roll). May give +2 to resist, but may also make things worse for some poisons! Antidotes for some poisons exist, have varying effects. Additional medical procedures require Physician roll (after proper diagnosis), give bonus up to TL/2 rounded up. Diagnosing poisons difficult before symptoms show (after first cycle), only possible with sample. After symptoms, Diagnosis or Poisons roll to identify.

Poison Examples - B439

  • Arsenic (TL1): Digestive, 1 hour delay, HT-2 resist. 1d toxic hourly for 8 cycles. $1/dose, LC1.
  • Cobra Venom (TL0): Follow-up, 1 min dleay, HT-3 resist. 2d toxic for 6 hourly cycles. At 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 HP lost: -2, -4, -6 DX. $10/dose, LC1.
  • Cyanide (TL4): Any form. Follow-up/respiratory 0 delay, contact/digestive 15 min delay. No resist, 4d toxic. $2/dose, LC1.
  • Mustard Gas (TL6): area-effect respiratory and contact. As contact 0 delay, HT-4 resist, 1 toxic for 24 8-hour cycles. As respiratory 2 hour delay, HT-1 resist, 1d toxic for 6 hourly cycles. $10/dose, LC0.
  • Nerve Gas (TL6): area effect contact. 0 delay, HT-6 resist, 2d toxic for 6 one min cycles. Also causes agony, paralysis, retching, or seizure. $20/dose, LC0;
  • Smoke: area effect respiratory. 10 sec delay, HT resist, causes coughing for time in smoke plus 1 min * margin of failure. Dense smoke can cause damage. LC4.
  • Tear Gas (TL6): area effect respiratory and vision-based. As respiratory 0 delay, HT-2 resist, causes coughing. As vision-based 0 delay, HT-2 resist, causes blindness. Effects last for time spent in smoke plus 1 min * margin of failure. Tear gas is opaque: vision at -1 to -3 per yard. $10/dose, LC2.

Drinking and Intoxication - B439

One drink is 12oz beer, 4-5oz wine, or 1.5 oz spirits. After consuming > ST/4 drinks in an hour, roll HT or Carousing. Continue rolling once per hour if continue drinking. Modifiers: -1 per drink over ST/4 that hour, -2 empty stomach, +1 recently eaten, +2 Alcohol Tolerance perk, -2 Alcohol Intolerance quirk. Each failure shifts down one from sober to tipsy to drunk to unconscious to coma. Crit fail drops two levels. If penalties reduce effective roll to 2 or less, crit failure drops 3 levels.
  • Pink Elephants: if drunk, roll HT+4 or hallucinate.
  • The Heaves: if drunk and keep drinking, when fail next roll, roll again against unmodified HT: success indicates vomiting instead of unconsciousness. Crit fail fall unconscious and then vomit (choking).
  • Sobering Up: After stop drinking, total drinks/2 hours have passed roll vs HT to move up one level. Keep rolling at same interval until sober. Cannot recover from coma without medical help.
  • Hangovers: When stop drinking, roll vs HT if tipsy, HT-2 if drunk, HT-4 if unconscious. Failure indicates will have hangover, starting in 1d hours (or when awake), lasting 1 hour * margin of failure. Suffer moderate pain and acquire Low Pain Threshold (or lose High Pain Threshold). May get bonus for drinking water, taking medicine.

Addictive Drugs [TODO] - B440

Stimulants [TODO] - B440

Hallucinogens [TODO] - B440

Drug Withdrawal [TODO] - B440

Overdose [TODO] - B441

Depressants [TODO] - B441

Illness - B442

Disease - B442

Current Affairs roll can reveal presense of disease in a region. Per-based Diagnosis/Physician roll can help spot locals suffering from symptoms.

Difining a Disease - B442

Similar to poisons. Each has:
  • Vector: How disease spreads. Usually blood, contact, digestive, or respiratory agent.
  • Resistance Roll: HT roll to resist.
  • Delay: Incubation period (24 hours typical).
  • Damage: Game effects. (1 toxic typical).
  • Cycles: Number of cycles, as poison (default interval 1 day).
  • Symptoms: Other effects, usually after losing a fraction of HP to disease.
  • Contagion: How easy it is to pass on disease.

Diagnosis - B443

Once symptoms become apparent, Diagnosis roll, Expert Skill (Epidemiology), or Vetinary for animals.

Contagion - B443

When entering disease-ridden area, or encountering disease carrier make HT roll at end of day or catch the disease. Modifiers:
  • Avoid all possible contact: +4
  • Entered dwelling/shop of carrier: +3
  • Spoke with carrier at close quarters: +2
  • Touched carrier: +1
  • Used victim's clothes/blanket/etc: +0
  • Ate victim's cooked flesh: +0
  • Ate victim's raw flesh: -1
  • Prolonged contact with living carrier: -2
  • Intimate contact with carrier: -3
  • Other precautionary measures (mask/antiseptics/etc) provide bonus to those who know and understand them (usually late TL5).

Treatment - B443

Appropriate remedies provide bonus to HT roll. TL6+ antibiotics give +3 to bacterial disease. Physician's care provides bonus (see B424). Some diseases drug resistant. Some drugs only mitigate effects (damage/afflictions), but do not help cure.

Immunity and Susceptibility - B443

Some diseases may affect certain groups more or less strongly (bonus/penalty to HT roll usually). Some individuals are immune to diseases: if GM rolls 3-4 for initial resistance roll you are immune (but probably still don't know it). Surviving a particular disease may confer immunity. Vaccinations can also provide immunity.

Infection - B444

Open wounds treated with antibiotics (TL6+) are immune from infection, except on crit fail First Aid/Physician roll. Wounds not kept clean require HT+3 roll to avoid infection (possible modifiers: -2 dung/infected matter in wound, -3 locale harbors special infection). Treatment with antibiotics after infected gives +3 to HT roll. Surgery may be able to cut away infected material: Surgery roll does 2d damage, on success cures infection.

Age and Aging - B444

Age 50: roll HT for each basic stat (ST/IQ/DX/HT) once per year or lose 1 level. Crit fail or roll of 17-18 lose 2 levels. Longevity modifies roll. Age 70 roll every six months, at 90 roll every three months. If attribute reaches 0, die natural death. Cannot use luck. Modify HT roll by TL-3, +2 very fit, +1 fit, -1 unfit, -2 very unfit. Could gain disadvantages or lose advantages instead of stat reduction at GM's option.
Topic revision: r14 - 16 Feb 2026, DamianSmall
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