5.1.1 General
Statistics may be used to determine whether a character succeeds in a statistic-related task or activity. 'Statistic rolls' are made by rolling percentile dice in an attempt to score equal to or under a multiple of a statistic. In some cases the player may be aware of exactly what is being rolled for, and not in others (e.g. a Perception roll to notice an opponent sneaking up on their character).
The use of each statistic is covered in the description of Statistics, found in the Characters section of TWURPS. Where the GM is dealing with characters that only use the basic statistics, but wishes for a roll on a detailed statistic, he should use the value of the basic statistic which would normally be derived from the required detailed statistic (e.g. the GM requests a Memory roll from all of the characters in a room. His background characters have only basic statistics, so he would roll against Intellect for them).
5.1.2 Difficulty
The difficulty of a roll varies with the particular nature of the task or activity. They are expressed as multiples of a statistic. The GM may ask players for a roll against a statistic at a known multiplier (e.g. "make a times three Perception roll"), or he may ask for the player to make a roll against a particular statistic and tell him what multiple was acheived (e.g. "Roll on your perception. What multiple did you make?). In this case the GM will know what multiple is required for success, but wishes to conceal the difficulty of the roll from the player.
The roll for an "average" difficulty would be x3. If the difficulty is simple, then it might be a x5 roll. If it is particularly hard it could be x2 or even x1. It is up to the GM in each case to choose a difficulty multiplier that is appropriate to the situation.
5.1.3 Special Results
Special results (such as criticals and fumbles) apply to using statistics in the same way as for skills and combat. The Strike Table in the Combat Section should be consulted to determine whether a particular roll is actually a special result. The only relevant entries on this table are criticals and fumbles. Glance results are treated as normal successes.
Where a special result has been rolled, common sense should be used in applying the results. Criticals (x2 and x4) will have a very successful or extremely succesful result respectively. Fumbles will generally have a bad outcome.
Where statistics are being used in direct opposition to each other (such as an arm wrestling match or contest of wills), an opposed roll should be used. An opposed roll is one where it is impossible for both parties to succeed or fail at the same time.
The participants should both make success rolls and look up the results on the Strike Table (the multiple for the success roll depends on the difficulty of the task). The results are then cross-referenced on the Generic Opposed Roll Table below to determine the result. Where the roles are clear, "attacker" and "defender" should be assigned accordingly by the GM. Where they are not, or it is not appropriate, the GM should artibrarily assign the characters as attacker and defender (the table is symmetric, so there is no difference). The GM should interprete the results from this table in the context of the situation.
Generic Opposed Roll Table
| "Attacker" | |||||
| Fumble | Fail | Succeed | *2 | *4 | |
| "Defender" | |||||
| Fumble | Draw | Att
Succeeds |
Att
Succeeds |
Att *2 | Att *4 |
| Fail | Def Success | Draw | Att
Succeeds |
Att *2 | Att *4 |
| Succeed | Def
Succeeds |
Def
Succeeds |
Draw | Att *2 | Att *2 |
| *2 | Def *2 | Def *2 | Def *2 | Draw | Att
Succeeds |
| *4 | Def *4 | Def *4 | Def *2 | Def
Succeeds |
Draw |
Where:
| Draw | Neither party succeeds. A draw or stalemate. If the contest continues, a second opposed roll may be required to determine the result. |
| Att Succeeds | Attacker succeeds, with a result equivalent to a normal success |
| Def Succeeds | Defender succeeds, with a result equivalent to a normal success |
| Att *2 | Attacker succeeds, with a result equivalent to a *2 critical |
| Att *4 | Attacker succeeds, with a result equivalent to a *4 critical |
| Def *2 | Defender succeeds, with a result equivalent to a *2 critical |
| Def *4 | Defender succeeds, with a result equivalent to a *4 critical |
Generally the contest finishes when any result other than a draw is acheived.
5.2.1 General
Skill rolls may be used to determine whether a character succeeds in a task or activity requiring the use of that skill. Skill rolls are made by rolling percentile dice in an attempt to score equal to or under the skill of the character (after any modifiers have been applied). In some cases the player may be aware of exactly what is being rolled for and what the modifiers are, and not in others.
The use of each skill is covered in the description of skills, found in the Characters section of TWURPS.
5.2.2 Difficulty
The difficulty of a skill roll may vary with the particular nature of the task or activity being attempted. There are no specific skill roll modifiers listed here. The GM should assign appropriate modifiers to the attempt given the situation. Under normal circumstances, these might range from -50% to +50%. In exceptional circumstances, the range might be greater.
Situations which might generate negative modifiers might include inherently difficult tasks, distractions, time pressures, poor working conditions, lack of tools, etc.. Positive modifiers might result from easy tasks, good advice, helpful computer systems, previous practice attempts, time to study the problem, etc..
The GM should refer to the modifiers in the Combat section to gain an understanding of the general scope and significance of modifiers to apply to skills.
5.2.3 Special Results
Special results (such as criticals and fumbles) apply to using skill rolls in the same way as for combat. The Strike Table in the Combat Section should be consulted to determine whether a particular roll is actually a special result. The only relevant entries on this table are criticals and fumbles. Glance results are treated as normal successes.
Where a special result has been rolled, common sense should be used in applying the results. Criticals (x2 and x4) will have a very successful or extremely succesful result respectively. Fumbles will generally have a bad outcome.
5.2.4 Opposed Skill Rolls
Opposed skill rolls may be made in similar situations to opposed statistic rolls (e.g a chess match or bargaining over a price), where the skills of two participants are in direct competition with each other. The mechanics of resolving an opposed skill roll are the same as for an opposed statistics. Each participant makes a skill roll and looks up the result on the Strike Table. These results are the cross-referenced on the Generic Opposed Roll Table to determine the outcome.
5.2.5 Skill Competance
The entry below shows how various levels of skill in TWURPS relate to competance:
| Professional | 40% | |
| Expert | 75% |
A level of 40% or more would be required for a character to be regarded as professionally competant at a particular skill. Generally, qualifications or licences related to that skill (such as getting a pilot's licence or passing the bar exam) would not be possible until at least 40% skill had been acheived by the character. Fluency in languages may also be related to the same general scale.
Once a reasonable level of competance (40% or over) has been achevied by a character, routine or trivial tasks relating to that skill would not require rolls unless they have to be made in a pressure situation.
5.3.1 Voltage Levels
The voltages shown on the table in Section 2 represent a selection of commonly encountered levels. Intermediate values can be interpolated (note that the damages do not increase in a linear manner).
| 110V | American domestic supply lines | |
| 250V | British domestic supply lines | |
| 440V | Three-phase power lines | |
| 800-5,000V | Light Industrial and Substation lines | |
| 10,000V+ | Heavy Industrial and National Grid distribution lines, Lightning strikes, etc.. |
The damage figures all assume that there is some amperage behind the volts (at least 1 amp). If the shock is from a high voltage source lacking power (e.g. a Tesla coil), then no damage will result. Voltages below 100V can generally be ignored, unless they are carrying a large amperage (in which case, the GM should select an appropriate damage value).
These damage values represent worst case shocks and should not be increased. They can be decreased if there are mitigating circumstances. Standing in water whilst being shocked does not increase the damage, although wearing insulated boots might avoid it.
5.3.2 Avoiding Shock
Characters who are insulated may avoid damage from electrocution. This is achieved by preventing the flow of electricity from the power source to earth, either by means of wearing insulating clothing to prevent contact with the source, or by isolating one's whole body from earth.
As an alternative, characters may wear or be inside a structure which conducts the flow of electricity past them without causing damage (a Faraday cage).
Insulating effects and faraday cages are all rated according to what level of voltage they will protect the user against. Up to the limit of protection, the shock will have no effect. Beyond it, the victim will suffer the whole damage (full or partial) irrespective of the level of protection (i.e. once the protection has been breached, it doesn't matter how good it was).
As a guide, the following figures are suggested:
| Item | Protection | |
| Rubber-soled boots | 250V | |
| Insulated gloves | 250V | |
| Non-conductive material (e.g. broomstick) | Up to 1,000V depending on nature | |
| Special purpose tools | 1,000V | |
| Faraday Cage Suit | 10,000V |
Normal clothing and armour worn in combat do not provide any protection from electric shock unless it is a specific function of the item. The GM must exercise discretion in such situations.
If the potential victim achieves complete isolation from earth (by floating in zero-gravity, for instance) no shock damage will occur.
Likewise, if a character is inside a substantial metal cage of some kind, the electricity will be conducted away without causing damage (inside a metal-skinned aircraft stuck by lightning, for example). Note that other effects, such as failure of electronic instruments, may possibly occur in such situations.
5.3.3 Determining Damage
Determine from game play the type of contact (full or partial) and the voltage of the shock experience by the victim, and look up the relevant damage from the table. Deduct the victim's Con stat from the damage (as if were armour) and make a roll on the Combat Damage table in the normal fashion.
|
|
|
|
| Full
Shock |
Partial Shock | |
| 110 | 29 | 18 |
| 150 | 31 | 19 |
| 200 | 33 | 21 |
| 250 | 35 | 22 |
| 440 | 40 | 25 |
| 800 | 46 | 29 |
| 1,000 | 50 | 31 |
| 2,000 | 65 | 41 |
| 5,000 | 75 | 48 |
| 10,000 | 85 | 53 |
Full Shock
This requires a solid connection between the power source, the victim and earth, and that the path of the electrical current crosses either the heart or head of the victim.
Example: a character is standing on a metal grating and grasps an exposed power line above him with one hand. The path of the current would then travel down the arm, through the chest and out through the legs.
Note that shocks of this type are very dangerous and there is a good chance that the victim will die, even at moderate voltages.
Partial Shock
This occurs when either the flow of current does not cross the heart or head, or the contact is extremely brief.
Example 1: a character is in melee combat and is attacked by a man wielding a live power line. His foe contacts the character's leg with the line. The shock travels down the leg and into earth. Note that in the above example, if the area stuck had been head, upper chest or arms, then it would have been Full Contact, as the shock would have traversed the chest in leaving the body.
Example 2: a character is doing an electrical repair on live equipment. A fumbled skill roll indicates that he has made contact with the power source. Luckily, he succeeds in a Dex roll and pulls his hand back quickly, thus only suffering a Partial Shock. Of course, if the power source is of extremely high voltage, he may still get fried anyway.
5.3.4 Applying Damage
Full Shock damage is treated as whole body damage.
Partial Shock damage may be treated as either whole body (e.g. for a very brief contact) or location specific (e.g. for a limb)
Generally, once a shock has been received, the damage has been done. Continued contact with the power source will not have the same devastating effect as the first shock. In reality, continued contact will probably kill the victim eventually. The GM must apply common sense in applying cumulative damage. Damage is in such situation is mostly to the internal organs, and only the entry and exit points will be noticeable when checking a body damaged by electricity.
Victims that have been shocked will generally lose muscle control whilst in contact. If contact was made with the hands, there will be a reflexive jerking away (which may only give a Partial Contact if successful). If Full Contact is made, the victim will usually be unable to let go of his own volition. Other characters who attempt to break the connection must take precautions against being shocked (e.g. using something to knock the victim away from the power source). Simply grabbing the victim will result in both characters being in the same predicament.
5.4.1 General
Damage from fire or by burning is applied each combat round that the victim is affected. These mechanics describe contact burns on a living being (i.e. not a vehicle or structure). They will generally take a combat round to extinguish, unless special equipment or circumstances apply.
The rules for cumulative damage must be used when calculating damage from burning (these mechanics give increasing damage as the fire burns).
Burning damage will usually be applied to each location that is on fire. Where several locations on the same person are affected by the same fire, the level of damage should be resolved once each combat round and then applied to all locations. In the event that the victim is totally engulfed in fire, the damage can be treated as whole body.
Clothing and armour may afford some protection from the effects of fire. See Section 5.4.3 for details of how this operates.
5.4.2 Damage
Fire damage is divided into two types:
| Type | Temperature | Damage | Typical Examples | |
| Hot | ~ 1000°C | 10/rnd | General burning, petrol, flammable liquids,etc.. | |
| Intense | ~ 2000°C | 15/rnd | Napalm, white phoshorus, thermite, chemical fires, etc. |
The damage is applied each round, using the Damage Table in the Combat System. The 'general burning' category should be used for fires which do not have specific properties or fuel (e.g. a house fire).
If the period of burning is less than one combat round, the GM should exercise discretion in moderating the damage effects.
For descriptive purposes, the following damage effects are appropriate to burns:
| Damage | Burn Type | |
| Injure | 1st degree burns | |
| Wound | 2nd degree burns | |
| Maim | 3rd degree burns | |
| Destroy | Area burnt away |
Burn damage will generally affect the character's Might, CoOrdination and Beauty if statistic reductions are appropriate.
Any clothing or armour worn by a victim of fire may protect them against the effects. Unless totally resistant to fire, such clothing will protect the victim from damage for a specific number of combat rounds before the wearer suffers damage effects.
| Clothing | No. of Rounds of Protection | |
| None/Normal Clothing | 0 | |
| Thick Clothing | 1 | |
| Archaic or modern body armour | 2 | |
| Sealed/powered armour or fireproof overalls | 3 |
In the event the protection worn by a character is not covered by the list above, the GM should exercise discretion in selecting an appropriate number of rounds of protection.
The victim may use the time given by the protection to extinguish the fire or seek assistance.
Clothing and armour that protects the victim will usually be destroyed or degraded by the fire. Generally, armour that has been on fire will be reduced to half effectiveness or less in these situations.
5.4.4 Extinguishing a Fire
No detailed mechanics will be given for extinguishing a character that is on fire. If any one of the fuel, the heat or the oxygen is removed, the fire will go out.
The following techniques are all appropriate, and will usually be successful if a CoOrdination roll is made. Severity of the CoOrdination roll to decided by the GM based on the situation:
| Fire extinguisher (foam, gas, powder, etc..) |
| Immersion in, or spraying with, water |
| Smothering, using a cloth, blanket or similar |
| Decompression |
| Flooding the area with an oxygen-free gas (e.g. Halon) |
5.5.1 General
There are many methods of asphyxiation, the mechanics for some of which will be covered here. The primary effect of asphyxiation is the prevention of the victim breathing. All of the methods covered below share the same mechanics for determining what occurs after the supply of oxygen has been cut off. Each has a different set of mechanics for determining whether the oxygen is cut off in the first place.
5.5.2 Methods of Asphyxiation
There are four main methods of asphyxiation:
Drowning
The victim is immersed in liquid which either enters the lungs or prevents the drawing of breath. The GM should have the character make a series of swimming rolls, as determined by the circumstances. If the character fails in the roll or sequence of rolls, they have submerged or inhaled the liquid. A simple failure results in the character having their lungs full of air at this time, a fumble means there is no air in the characters lungs (see 5.5.3 for details). The GM should keep track of the combat rounds from the point that the character fails.
Suffocation
The victim's mouth or airway is blocked in some way, either accidentally or through the actions of another character. Appropriate rolls should be made by the GM to determine what occurs. In the case of an intentional suffocation (with a pillow, for example), opposed strength rolls or such like would be appropriate. In the event a 4* critical occurs, physical damage has occurred to the victim beyond the aim of suffocation. The GM should keep track of the combat rounds from the point that the airway is blocked.
Strangulation
The victim's windpipe is constricted, either accidentally or intentionally, preventing breathing. Appropriate rolls must be made by the GM to resolve an accidental strangulation. If the strangulation is intentional, the assailant will, most likely, be performing the "grasp" close combat action on the victims neck, and the victim will be "resisting grasp". Opposed rolls should be made to determine the outcome. In the event a 2* or 4* critical occurs, physical damage has been done to the victim during the course of the strangulation. Resolve this as a Brawling attack using the hands (note that as this is critical, the damage for this is multiplied appropriately). Damage of Wound or greater is sufficient to crush or seriously damage the victims windpipe. The GM should keep track of the combat rounds from the point that the strangulation is first successful. The GM should allow the victim a roll to determine whether their lungs are full or not at this point. Note that in manual strangulation, if the assailant is attempting the kill the victim, the stranglehold must be maintained for some time after the victim passes out (see below).
Low Pressure
In the case of an explosive decompression, suffocation is unlikely to be the actual cause of death, and this situation should be resolved in another manner. In the case of a slow pressure drop (decompression) or a reduction in the amount of oxygen due to other gases (low partial pressure), the GM should keep track of the combat rounds from the point as which the (partial) pressure falls to approximately half of it's normal value (for reference, a 1cm hole in the side of a spaceship will leak 1.5m³ of air in one combat round. Whether the character has taken and held a breath at the appropriate time will be determined by gameplay.
Once the character is unable to breathe properly, oxygen will be used from the air that remains in their lungs. The time before the victim must make rolls to avoid passing out depends on whether their lungs were full or empty at the time breathing stopped:
| Full lungs | Con combat rounds | |
| Empty lungs | Con/3 combat rounds |
During this period, the character may still act normally if they are conscious. Violent effort (such as a determined struggle) will halve the number of combat rounds due to the faster consumption of the oxygen in the lungs.
On the round after the air in the character's lungs has been used, the character must make a Con x3 roll to avoid passing out. If successful, they must make Con x 2 in the next round, then Con x 1 for all following rounds. The GM may choose to have the character make a Will x 3 roll to avoid a panic reaction in this situation. If the air supply is returned prior to unconsciousness, the process would start again from the beginning.
Once the character passes out, one of two things may occur:
(a) If the air supply is restored, the character will regain consciousness naturally in 1d6 minutes. Depending on the situation a First Aid roll may be required to restart breathing. There are unlikely to be any permanent effects due the asphyxiation.
(b) If the air supply is not restored, oxygen will cease being supplied to the brain. After 4 minutes (48 combat rounds) in this condition, brain damage will result. The character will lose 1 point of Int every 3 combat rounds until the statistic reaches zero, at which time they are dead.
Once the four minute period has started, a First Aid roll (resuscitation) would be required to restart the characters heart and lung action and prevent any further deterioration.
5.6.1 General
Damage to living organisms by radiation occurs when ionising radiation disrupts and destroys the cell structure in the body. The exact details of radiation exposure, damage and treatment are quite complex in reality. The mechanics here provide a simplified method for determining the effects of acute radiation exposure, and some of the more detailed effects have been ignored.
Doses of radiation that a character may receive are measured in 'rads', and all of the data below are presented in these units. Given the simplified nature of the system, the GM should exercise discretion in applying the system where matters of distance, protection and dosage are concerned.
5.6.2 Sources of Radiation
There are many different sources of radiation to which a character may be exposed. Listed below are some of those most likely to occur during gameplay:
| Source | Exposure | ||
| Immediate Nuclear Weapon Effects | See Data Appendix 'Nuclear Weapons' | ||
| Site of Nuclear weapon detonation | Groundburst | Crater | 100rads/hour |
| Total Destn Radius | 50rads/hour | ||
| Mod. Dmg. Radius | 200rads/year | ||
| Airburst | 'Crater' | 30 rads/hour | |
| Exposure to high grade radiation source (within 2m)* | 100 rads/cbt rnd | ||
| Exposure to low grade radiation source (within 2m)* | 5 rads/cbt rnd | ||
| Ambient exposure | Effectively nil | ||
| Chest X-ray | Effectively nil | ||
| Cosmic rays at high altitude (e.g. in an aircraft) | Effectively nil | ||
| Exposure to cosmic rays on interplanetary flight | 1 rad/month | ||
| Exposure to solar flare in interplanetary flight | 1000 rads | ||
* High grade radiation sources would include things like unshielded weapons-grade fissile material (e.g. plutonium) or high grade nuclear waste (e.g. spent nuclear reactor fuel rods). Low grade sources would include low grade nuclear waste (such as contaminated protective gear) or concentrated but unrefined uranium ore. Distance from high or low grade sources will significantly affect dosage. If the distance away is doubled the exposure drops to a quarter.
5.6.3 Protection from Radiation
Physical barriers will protect a victim from the effects of radiation exposure. The table below lists a number of common structures that will reduce the amount of radiation absorbed by the victim by the factor shown. To determine exposure multiply the number of rads the character has been exposed to by the appropriate multiplier to find the actual dosage taken:
| Basement | 0.1 | |
| Forest | 0.8 | |
| Slit trench | 0.1 | |
| Underground Bomb Shelter | 0.0002 | |
| 1m water | 0.1 | |
| 1.5m wood | 0.1 | |
| Biohazard suit | 0.01 |
Radiation protection for vehicles, armour or energy/force shields can be broadly related to armour value:
| AV | Modifier | |
| 0 | x 1 | |
| 1-10 | x 0.75 | |
| 11-20 | x 0.4 | |
| 21-30 | x 0.2 | |
| 31-40 | x 0.1 | |
| 41-50 | x 0.05 | |
| 51-60 | x 0.02 | |
| 61 | x 0.01 |
If a vehicle has been specifically radiation-hardened, apply an additional modifier of x 0.1
These mechanics are intended for whole body exposure. If only a portion of a victim is irradiated, the GM should reduce the number of rads received (by the approximate proportion of the exposed area to the whole body).
5.6.4 Radiation Effects
The effects of acute radiation exposure vary according to the dose taken. Follow the steps below:
1. Determine exposure in rads
2. Consult table and determine onset time for symptoms
3. Roll Death Chance (if applicable)
4. If the character will die from the exposure, roll Death Time.
|
Exposure |
Symptoms |
|
|
Time |
|
|
|
No external symptoms |
|
|
|
0 |
| 101-200 | Nausea (lasting 2d10 hours). |
|
|
|
1 |
| 201-400 | Nausea and diarrhea (lasting 1-2 days). Fatigue, hair loss, and susceptability to infection. |
|
|
|
2 |
| 401-600 | As above, duration 2-3 days for nausea and diarrhea. Hemorrhaging occurs. |
|
|
|
3 |
| 601-1000 | As above, duration 4-5 days for nausea and diarrhea. |
|
|
|
4 |
| 1001-5000 | Nausea, diarrhea, anorexia and hemorhaging, followed by delirium and coma. |
|
|
|
5 |
| 5001+ | Convulsions and disorentation, followed by coma |
|
|
|
6 |
Notes on the Radiation Table:
Onset time is the time to elapse before the symptoms show
Death Chance is the percentage chance of the character dying from the radiation exposure
Death Time is the time to elapse before death if rolled.
Fatigue Loss is the number of Fatigue Levels that the character loses due to the exposure (See Recovery below)
Should the Death Chance roll indicate that the character is going to die, this will usually be from a combination of effects such as infection, haemorrhaging and circulatory collapse. Up to 1000 rads exposure, rapid medical attention may reduce the chance of death. Beyond 1000 rads exposure, medical treatment (unless from an advanced high technology source) will only alleviate suffering.
These effects should be applied at the end of a period of exposure. A character may recover from the symptoms of exposure, but the number of rads received is cumulative, and a note should be kept of the exposure in rads. Should a subsequent exposure occur, this will add to the number of rads taken, and any new effects will be based on the total cumulative exposure.
Characters who have been exposed to 100-150 rads should taken strenuous measures to avoid any further exposure.
5.6.5 Recovery and Long Term Effects
Characters recover very slowly from the effects of radiation exposure, and this is resolved through the loss of Fatigue Levels. This limits the maximum fatigue level the character may be at whilst suffering from radiation sickness. The first lost level is recovered in one month, subsequent levels are recovered at the rate of one every four months. Assuming the character does not die, the physical symptoms described above will reduce significantly within the first levels or two of fatigue recovered. Beyond this, the character will suffer fatigue effects as determined by the Fatigue Table.
Radiation exposure has a number of long term effects:
The initial effect is sterility. This occurs for males in the 100-200 rad region and for females in the 400-600 rad region. Any offspring of characters affected at these levels of exposure may suffer genetic abnormalities or mutations (most of which will result in the death of the child).
Any character who has been exposed to 100 rads or more of radiation has an increased chance of suffering from cancer and related illnesses during later life. The chance of the character contracting cancer is equal to Rads/10 as a percentage. Assuming the character has not already contracted the disease, this should be re-rolled on each subsequent exposure. If contracted, the cancer will generally affect the character within 2d6 years (GM's discretion should be used in determining the exact effects).
5.7.1 General
Damage caused by falls, impacts or collisions are handled in the same manner (as all involve violent deceleration).
In the case of falls, the height the character falls determines the damage received. The figures in the table below are for falls in one gravity. Should the gravity level be different, the GM should calculate the speed when the character hits the ground and look up that on the table instead [Impact Speed = Square Root of (19.62 x G x Distance fallen) where G is number of gravitites].
For impacts, the figure used for damage should be the speed at the moment of impact. For collisions between moving objects, use the difference in speed between the two objects.
5.7.2 Determining Damage
To detemine the damage applied to characters in impacts and falls, look up the speed or height on the table below to determine the appropriate damage figure.
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
| <10 | <6 | <1 | None |
| 20 | 13 | 2 | 5 |
| 30 | 19 | 4 | 8 |
| 40 | 25 | 6 | 10 |
| 50 | 31 | 10 | 13 |
| 60 | 38 | 14 | 15 |
| 70 | 44 | 19 | 18 |
| 80 | 50 | 25 | 20 |
| 90 | 56 | 32 | 23 |
| 100 | 63 | 39 | 25 |
| 125 | 78 | 61 | 31 |
| 150 | 94 | 88 | 38 |
| 175 | 109 | 120 | 44 |
| 200* | 125 | 157 | 50 |
| 250 | 156 | 246 | 63 |
| 300 | 188 | 354 | 75 |
| Etc.. | |||
* This line (200kph/157m fall) is the terminal velocity of a falling human body.
Impact Damage is calculated at 25 per 100kph, and damage values for speeds in excess of 300kph can therefore be easily determined if required.
Depending on the circumstances, the GM may allow characters to make some form of luck roll to determine whether they 'land on their feet' or whatever. Should this be the case, the GM should reduce the damage figure by approximately a third if the roll succeeds. Likewise, vehicles making a "controlled" crash landing can reduce damage in a similar manner.
Any armour worn by a character may help in reducing the damage caused by the fall or impact. These will generally only apply to rigid armour which would for example, prevent serious head injuries. Soft or flexible armour types are unlikely to have much effect. If the armour has specific impact reduction properties it should be allowed to reduce the damage figure.
Vehicle safety devices, such as seat belts, restraints and air bags will reduce the damage figure, generally by half.
The GM may also choose to reduce the damage figure if a falling character lands on a surface which will absorb some of the impact force. At higher speeds (and larger heights), this becomes less significant (for example, water would count as a solid surface if a character hit it travelling at 200kph).
Martial Artists may reduce falling damage as described in Section 2.4.3 of Combat.
Collisions between vehicles are described in Section 2.6.5 of Combat.
Roll 2d10+Damage on the Damage Table. If appropriate, the modifiers described above should be taken into account when determining the damage.
5.7.3 Damage to Bodies
The damage from falling and impact is most easily resolved as whole body damage. Should more detail be required, the GM should roll 1d3 hit locations and roll individual damage results for these. The GM should use common sense in determining the nature of the injuries based on the circumstances of the impact.
Shock represents the mental and physical effects of traumatic events or injuries.
5.8.1 Shock in Combat Situations
The basic guideline for using shock in combat is to make a roll if a Maim or Destroy result is taken to an area of the body that does not kill the target. The GM may choose to make a roll for lesser results if it seems appropriate. This approach should also be used for injuries that are sustained outside of combat (e.g. an accident).
5.8.2 Shock in Non-Combat Situations
There are no specific mechanics for when to apply a shock roll in non-combat situations. In general, if the character experiences an event which the GM believes would be traumatic for the character, a shock roll should be made. This could include such things as the character learning his father has died, having a paranormal experience or an artist seeing his greatest work destroyed in a fire.
It should be noted that the experiences that could cause a shock roll to be made are culturally dependant, and are not the same for everyone. For example, an cannibal eating his victim in the deep jungle would be quite normal for the cannibal, but would probably be grounds for a shock roll for an observing explorer from a European culture.
5.8.3 Shock Table
The character should make a Will roll (at a multiplier determined by the GM) to avoid a shock roll. If the Will roll is failed, make a shock roll. To make a Shock Roll, roll 1d100. Modifiers may be applied to the roll if desired by the GM.
In general and before rolling the dice, the GM should determine what is the maximum result that is applicable to the situation. This may depend on the nature of the injury or event and the health and well-being of the affected character. This can be done by using a negative modifier. This then determines the maximum result that can be obtained in that situation.
| Result | Effect |
| 01 - 10 | No effect. |
| 11 - 20 | Hesitate, miss 1 round. |
| 21 - 30 | Nausea, miss 1d10 rounds throwing up. |
| 31 - 40 | Faint, until revived. |
| 41 - 50 | Physiological or Psychological effect, e.g. gain phobia or hair turns white |
| 51 - 60 | Hysteria, gibber until calmed down. |
| 61 - 70 | Berserk, attack source of shock. |
| 71 - 80 | Catatonic, collapse until treated. |
| 81 - 90 | Insanity, requires psychological help. |
| 91 - 00 | Heart attack, subtract 1d10 from Stamina & Health. |
| Destroy damage result | -0% |
| Maim damage result | -10% |
| Source or stock is distant (i.e. out of reach) | -20% |
| Source of shock is physically explainable | -30% |
| Character has experienced the situation before | -50% |
5.9.1 Fatigue Levels
There are eight levels of fatigue, as follows:
| Level | Effects | |
| 1 | Fresh/Alert | |
| 2 | Weary | |
| 3 | Tired | |
| 4 | Very tired | |
| 5 | Fatigued | |
| 6 | Exhausted | |
| ------ | ---------------------- | |
| 7 | Unconscious | |
| 8 | Possibly Dead |
A section is provided on the character sheet for keeping track of the current level.
Applying levels 7 and 8 are at the GM's discretion.
Levels are lost at the following rates:
| Condition | Loss Rate | Recovery Rate | |
| Effort: | |||
| Strenuous | 1/minute | Fast | |
| Medium | 1/hour | Fast | |
| Light | 1/day | Fast | |
| Acceleration: | |||
| >1G to 2G | 1/day | Fast | |
| >2G to 3G | 1/hour | Fast | |
| >3G to 4G | 1/minute | Fast | |
| >5G | 1/round | Fast | |
| Disease/Infection | Depends on type | Slow | |
| Poison | Depends on type | Slow | |
| Lack of Food | 1/day | Slow | |
| Lack of Sleep | 1/day | Slow | |
| Cumulative Damage | 1/damage result of stun or higher * | Fast | |
| Cumulative Damage | 1/damage result of stun or higher * | Fast | |
| Magic Drain | 1/level of spirit conjured § | Fast | |
* This is not applied until AFTER the combat, due to the effects of adrenaline.
§ See Section 3.3 of the Magic System
The fatigue losses for diseases, infections and poisons vary depending on the type and severity of the effect in question. Refer to Sections 5.11 and 5.12 for more details.
The GM should exercise discretion in applying fatigue loses for activities which are not covered above.
5.9.3 Effects of Fatigue
Fatigue may affect the performance of a character who is engaged in almost any kind of action. When a character attempts to do something while suffering fatigue, a modifier is applied to their chance of success for whatever action he is trying to perform.
The modifiers are:
| Fatigue Level | Skill | Initiative & Movement | |
| 1 | None | None | |
| 2 - 3 | -10 % | ¾ | |
| 4 - 5 | -20 % | ½ | |
| 6 | -40 % | ¼ |
Note that these penalties will affect most actions and skill rolls, whether mental or physical, as fatigue affects the performance of both mind and body.
5.9.4 Recovery from Fatigue
Recovering from fatigue occurs at either a fast or slow rate, depending on the means by which the character became fatigued.
| Recovery Rate | Levels Recovered At | |
| Fast | 1 level / hour | |
| Slow | 1 level / day |
For the character to recover from fatigue, he must be resting (i.e. not be engaging in any of the activities on the previous page which cause fatigue loss).
The GM should exercise discretion for the recovery of fatigue levels if the total fatigue the character is suffering from is a combination of fast and slow recovery rates.
5.9.5 Encumbrance
The weight that a character may carry depends on his Strength statistic and the rate at which he becomes fatigued.
| Weight (kg) | Effort Level | Movement Penalty | |
| Up to Strength x 1 | Light | None | |
| Up to Strength x 2 | Medium | Movement x ¾ | |
| Up to Strength x 3 | Strenuous | Movement x ½ |
Refer to the fatigue table in 5.9.2 for the fatigue loss for each level. This system is based entirely on weight and does not consider the bulk of the load. If the load is particularly bulky or awkward, the GM may choose to increase the fatigue penalties.
By the above system, a character may carry up to his Strength in kilograms without penalty, and incur only the normal loss of 1 fatigue level for a normal day's activity.
5.10.1 Natural Healing
The severity of the wound is determined by the damage that the area has sustained. Natural healing proceeds as follows.
In order to recover from the effects of damage, time is required for healing:
| Level of Wound | Time to Heal | |
| Stun | 1 week | |
| Injure | 2 weeks | |
| Wound | 6 weeks | |
| Maim | 8 weeks | |
| Destroy | 10 weeks |
This period may be affected by the facilities available (See 5.10.2 below).
As the character recovers, the following effects will be experienced during the recovery period:
10 weeks:
The victim will be in a state of shock. Movement should be avoided at all costs. Careful movement gives a 25 % chance of renewed bleeding. Strenuous activity gives a 75 % chance of renewed bleeding.
6 weeks:
The wound is very painful and the injured area should not be used. If it is, there is a 50 % chance of increasing the wound level to maim.
3 weeks:
The injury is healing well and may be used carefully, but strenuous activity has a 35 % chance of increasing the wound level to wound and renewing bleeding.
2 weeks:
The injured area is still painful but may be used as normal. If the same area is injured again add 5 to the damage roll.
1 week:
Occasional twinges of pain are the only ill effects of this almost healed wound.
The damage results of Maim and Destroy will result in permanent damage to the character. This may be in the form of statistic reductions and/or loss of use of body parts. The rules above give the times required for the wounds causing these losses to heal, however full function will not automatically be recovered after this time. It may require prosthetics or advanced technology medicine (e.g. transplants or regrowths) for the character to regain the use of any disabled areas.
Generally, successful Medicine and surgery rolls (where appropriate) would be required for recovering from the more serious damage results.
The quality and equipment level of any medical facilities will affect the time required for damage to heal. The table below gives modifiers which may be applied to the healing times above:
| Condition | Multiplier for Healing Time |
| Well Equipped | x ½ |
| Averagely Equipped | x 1 |
| Poorly Equipped | x 2 |
Refer to the Technology section to determine the modifiers for specific medical technologies, such as Cell Repair.
5.10.3 Magical Healing
The effects of magical and psionic healing are described in Sections 3.5.4 and 3.10 of the Magic System.
5.11.1 Poison Mechanics
Proceed through the following steps to determine the results of a possible poisoning:
1. Determine whether the character has been exposed to the poison.
2. Roll for Severity.
3. Determine the Cycle Time of the poison from the Poisons Table. At the end of each cycle, advance the victim one level up the severity table (applying the appropriate effects) until the result rolled in (2) is reached.
4. Make an opposed roll for recovery (assuming the victim has not died)
Unless the character has specialised medical or survival knowledge, they will be unlikely to know what the severity of the poisoning is, or how fast it will act on them. The GM is advised to conceal this information when determining the effects of a poisoning.
5.11.2 Poison Exposure
Poisons have many different methods of exposure ("vectors"):
| Vector | Requires... | |
| Injection | Puncturing the skin of the victim. | |
| Ingestion | Swallowing or drinking by the victim. | |
| Inhalation | Breathing in by the victim. | |
| Contact | Touching the skin of the victim. |
Generally, if the character is exposed to the correct vector for the poison, he will be affected by it. It is up to the GM to determine in any specific circumstance whether the character manages to avoid the vecotor (e.g. holds his breath quickly enough to escape an inhaled poison. etc..).
In combat, a result of Injure or better with an envenomed sharp weapon is required to deliver poison into a victim. Envenomed weapons generally only have one dose of poison on them. With any strike that hits the victim (causing damage or not) there is a 50% chance that any venom on the blade will be lost.
5.11.3 Poison Severity
To determine the severity of a poisoning, roll the following and consult the table below:
1d100 + Poison Strength - Health + Modifiers
|
|
Effect |
|
|
|
Minor (fatigue only) | 1 |
| 36-85 | Secondary Effect * | 3 |
| 86-95 | Unconsciousness | 5 |
| 96-99 | Coma and possible statistic damage | All |
| 00+ | Death | All |
The table assumes that the victim has been administered an 'effective dose' of the poison.
Modifiers:
| Partial dose | - 50 | |
| Excess dose | + 50 | |
| First Aid succesfully applied | Half Skill | |
| Antidote given | -75 |
* Secondary Effects are as follows:
| Poison Type | Secondary Effect | |
| Lethal | Unconsciousness/fever | |
| Paralytic | Paralysis/immobility | |
| Narcotic | Trance or high (depends on nature of substance) |
5.11.4 Recovery from Poison
Once victim has reached the severity rolled in Step 2, make an opposed roll against the poison on the Opposed Roll Resolution Table (Section 2.4.6.4). Treat the poison as the attacker and the character as the defender, using the strength as a plus modifier and the victims health as a negative one. Interprete the result in the context of the body fighting off poison.
The result will determine whether the condition improves or worsens. Once recovery has commenced no further rolls are required, and fatigue levels will normally be regained at the rate of one per day.
Should the victim be rendered unconscious or left in a coma by the poison, the duration of these events is up to the GM. In general, the period of unconsciousness is likely to be in the range of 1-10 hours, and the coma 1-6 days.
The Maximum Fatigue Loss from the severity roll is the number of fatigue levels that the character loses due to the poison. These levels may only be recovered through natural healing or magic, and form an upper limit on a character's fatigue level whilst the victim is under the influence of the poison.
Narcotic poisons are usually addictive in nature, and the GM should determine whether the character is addicted, suffers withdrawl symptoms, etc..
If the poisoning results in statistic damage (as determined during the Severity phase), the GM should consider the nature of the poison that was administered in applying statistic losses. They will generally affect Health, Agility, Logic and/or Memory. A severe episode might call for a loss in the range of 1d10.
Shown on the table below are some typical poisons. Data for other poisons may be created by comparing similar types or effects.
| Poison | Method | Cycle Time | Strength | Type |
| Snake Venom | Injection | 1 hour | 65 | Lethal |
| Blade Venom | Injection |