Illness

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.

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.

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 level of severity but get progressively worse, moving the ill creature further down the Knockout Track.

Some illnesses have cures that remove the ailment entirely. Others have treatments that relieve the symptoms. Some illnesses have neither and must run their course.