Difference between revisions of "Illness"

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In addition to the physical dangers of the world, characters are often accosted by the sniffles and other common ailments, as well as many serious infectious diseases. When it comes to sickness and plague, running out of tissues is the least of your worries.
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Illness is an acute condition — it comes on suddenly and puts a strain on your body. Whether you're combating the flu, shock, motion sickness, or a hangover, illness can make even the simplest of tasks difficult thanks to symptoms like pain, fever, nausea, and fatigue. In this game, illness quantifies the burden imposed by afflictions, regardless of their causes, impacts, or cures. For instance, influenza is infectious, radiation sickness is environmental, and scurvy is dietary — wildly different pathologies, but they all take a toll on fragile mortal creatures.
  
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Illness is an acute condition — it comes on suddenly and puts a strain on your body. Whether you're combating the flu, shock, motion sickness, or a hangover, illness can make even the simplest of tasks difficult thanks to symptoms like pain, fever, nausea, and fatigue.
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The debilitating effects of an illness are represented by its ''severity'', a number from 1–5. When a creature is subjected to an illness, it ''must'' make a [[Vitality]] check (see ''Chapter 6: Skills''). If it fails the check, the illness imposes one [[Death Mark]] for each level of severity. In addition, an illness can impose other effects on the unhealthy creature, like [[condition]]s, [[Continual Damage]], or penalties to specific skills.
  
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The debilitating effects of an illness are represented by its ''severity'', a number from 1–5. When a creature contracts an illness, it moves one stage down the Knockout Track for each level of severity. These Knockout Track penalties remain in place as long as the symptoms of the illness persist. Some illnesses begin at a low severity and progressively worsen to a high severity.
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Any illness in this game will list the initial DL to resist, and could list one or more of the following properties:
  
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In addition to Knockout Track penalties, an illness can impose other effects on the unhealthy creature, like [[condition]]s, [[Continual Damage]], or penalties to specific skills.
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* ''Progressive'' – Increases in severity over time if left untreated. A progressive illness in this game will list the frequency of increase (e.g. ''progressive every week'').
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* ''Fightable'' – Creatures can eventually overpower the illness after successive [[Vitality]] checks (see ''Resisting Illness'' in the "Vitality" entry of ''Chapter 6: Skills''). A ''fightable'' illness in this game will list the frequency a character can make an attempt to fend it off (e.g. ''fightable every 6 hours'').
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* ''Limited'' – A creature may be able to ride out the illness and fully recover without any assistance. A limited illness in this game will list the duration (e.g. ''limited to 10 days'').
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* ''Curable'' – An environmental, dietary, or medicinal cure exists that can eradicate the illness. A character can ascertain the cure with a successful [[Lore]] check and [[Craft]] medicine from raw ingredients. Each curable illness will list these DLs.
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* ''Treatable'' – There is an environmental, dietary, or medicinal remedy that treats the symptoms of the illness and lifts the penalties imposed by some or all of the Death Marks for a brief time. As with cures, a Lore check formulates the remedy and a [[Craft]] check assembles the goods. Each treatable illness will list these DLs.
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* ''Operable'' – A specific medical procedure, like surgery, can correct the illness. A character can operate with a successful [[Healing]] check (see ''Chapter 6: Skills''). Each operable illness will list this DL.
  
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Illness makes lethal [[Stamina Drain]] (e.g. [[starving|starvation]], [[dehydrated|dehydration]]) much more difficult to survive. For example, if you contract a severity 3 illness (which puts you at stage 3 on the Knockout Track), you only need to fail two [[Stamina]] checks to fall comatose. A third failure means death. If you contract a severity 5 illness (which renders you comatose on its own), a single failed Stamina check means death.
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The illness remains in place until it's fought off, cured, past its limit, or surgically corrected. Upon eradication of the illness, you release one Death Mark. Any remaining Death Marks forced upon you by the illness can be removed with one night of restful sleep for each.
  
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Some illnesses have cures that remove the ailment entirely. Many illnesses that can't be cured can be treated with medicinal remedies to relieve the symptoms. Some illnesses have neither a cure nor a treatment and must run their courses.
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A creature can suffer from multiple distinct illnesses simultaneously, for instance, you could be seasick with bronchitis. However, you cannot receive more than five Death Marks from illness, no matter how sick you may ''feel''. That said, you're a sitting duck if anything ''else'' hands you a Death Mark.
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<noinclude>[[Category:Mortality]]</noinclude>
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An illness is generally caused by one of the following:
 
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* infection by a pathogen
 
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* a lack of
 
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* harmful levels of a substance in the body
 
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* environmental circumstances
 

Latest revision as of 18:17, 14 March 2022

Illness is an acute condition — it comes on suddenly and puts a strain on your body. Whether you're combating the flu, shock, motion sickness, or a hangover, illness can make even the simplest of tasks difficult thanks to symptoms like pain, fever, nausea, and fatigue. In this game, illness quantifies the burden imposed by afflictions, regardless of their causes, impacts, or cures. For instance, influenza is infectious, radiation sickness is environmental, and scurvy is dietary — wildly different pathologies, but they all take a toll on fragile mortal creatures.

The debilitating effects of an illness are represented by its severity, a number from 1–5. When a creature is subjected to an illness, it must make a Vitality check (see Chapter 6: Skills). If it fails the check, the illness imposes one Death Mark for each level of severity. In addition, an illness can impose other effects on the unhealthy creature, like conditions, Continual Damage, or penalties to specific skills.

Any illness in this game will list the initial DL to resist, and could list one or more of the following properties:

  • Progressive – Increases in severity over time if left untreated. A progressive illness in this game will list the frequency of increase (e.g. progressive every week).
  • Fightable – Creatures can eventually overpower the illness after successive Vitality checks (see Resisting Illness in the "Vitality" entry of Chapter 6: Skills). A fightable illness in this game will list the frequency a character can make an attempt to fend it off (e.g. fightable every 6 hours).
  • Limited – A creature may be able to ride out the illness and fully recover without any assistance. A limited illness in this game will list the duration (e.g. limited to 10 days).
  • Curable – An environmental, dietary, or medicinal cure exists that can eradicate the illness. A character can ascertain the cure with a successful Lore check and Craft medicine from raw ingredients. Each curable illness will list these DLs.
  • Treatable – There is an environmental, dietary, or medicinal remedy that treats the symptoms of the illness and lifts the penalties imposed by some or all of the Death Marks for a brief time. As with cures, a Lore check formulates the remedy and a Craft check assembles the goods. Each treatable illness will list these DLs.
  • Operable – A specific medical procedure, like surgery, can correct the illness. A character can operate with a successful Healing check (see Chapter 6: Skills). Each operable illness will list this DL.

The illness remains in place until it's fought off, cured, past its limit, or surgically corrected. Upon eradication of the illness, you release one Death Mark. Any remaining Death Marks forced upon you by the illness can be removed with one night of restful sleep for each.

A creature can suffer from multiple distinct illnesses simultaneously, for instance, you could be seasick with bronchitis. However, you cannot receive more than five Death Marks from illness, no matter how sick you may feel. That said, you're a sitting duck if anything else hands you a Death Mark.

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