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.
  
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. If it fails the check, the creature moves one stage down the Knockout Track for each level of severity. These Knockout Track penalties remain in place for as long as the symptoms of the illness persist. In addition, an illness can impose other effects on the unhealthy creature, like [[condition]]s, [[Continual Damage]], or penalties to specific skills.
  
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.
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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:
  
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 by week'').
 
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* ''Limited'' – A creature can eventually overpower the illness and fully recover without any assistance. A limited illness in this game will list the duration (e.g. ''limited to 10 days'').
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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* ''Incurable'' – No environmental, dietary, medicinal, or surgical cure exists that can eradicate the illness.
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* ''Untreatable'' – There is no means to treat the symptoms of the illness.
  
 
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.
 
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.

Revision as of 22:49, 27 September 2020

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. If it fails the check, the creature moves one stage down the Knockout Track for each level of severity. These Knockout Track penalties remain in place for as long as the symptoms of the illness persist. 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 by week).
  • Limited – A creature can eventually overpower the illness and fully recover without any assistance. A limited illness in this game will list the duration (e.g. limited to 10 days).
  • Incurable – No environmental, dietary, medicinal, or surgical cure exists that can eradicate the illness.
  • Untreatable – There is no means to treat the symptoms of the illness.

Illness makes lethal Stamina Drain (e.g. starvation, 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.