Rough Magic 3e EN:GM Resources
This chapter provides additional information for the game moderator, such as the movement capabilities of creates with attributes far beyond human limits, and the mass of commonplace objects, and the speed of various creatures and vehicles.
Hostile Environments
| Environment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Darkness | Attack and defense bonuses (see Opposed Tasks) |
| Dehydration | Lose 1 endurance level per day; task roll penalty (-3) on all tasks |
| Exposure | Lose one endurance level, from once per hour to once per six hours |
| Falling | Lose one endurance level for each ten meters fallen |
| Fire | Damage value depends on heat and intensity, once per round |
| Poisons | Brawn task roll, from once per round to once per hour |
| Sleep Deprivation | Lose 1 Reason per day, then lose 1 Will per day, then lose 1 endurance level per day |
| Starvation | Lose 1 endurance level per week; task roll penalty (-3) on all tasks |
| Suffocation | Lose one endurance level per minute |
Darkness
Darkness, fog, rain, blizzards, and other visual impediments can make combat much more difficult. If an attacker can't see the defender, the attacker incurs an attack penalty (-3). Conversely, if a defender can't see the attacker but the attacker can see them, the attacker gains an attack bonus (+3).
A character with Night Vision or equipment permitting them to perceive normally suffers no ill effects from darkness.
Dehydration
A character who goes more than 24 hours without drinking begins to suffer the effects of dehydration. Initially, the character experiences headaches, loss of appetite, and dry skin, followed by rapid heart rates, elevated body temperatures, and fatigue. After three days without water, the character experiences tiredness, irritability, and dizziness. Severe dehydration results in death.
Characters suffering from dehydration lose one endurance level per day until they are rehydrated. Additionally, the character incurs a penalty (-3) on all rolls. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor, are not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
Exposure
Extremes of heat and cold can be dangerous to those without adequate protection from the elements. Characters exposed to extreme temperatures gradually lose endurance levels until they find shelter. How quickly they lose endurance depends on the severity of the conditions. A hot summer day without shade or water, or a frosty winter night without a coat, causes the character to lose one endurance level every six hours or so: brutal, but not immediately life-threatening. The same character in a blazing hot desert or in the middle of a blizzard might lose an endurance level once per hour. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor, is not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
Falling
A character who falls farther than they can jump takes damage based on the distance fallen. A character who falls and strikes a surface loses one endurance level for each ten meters fallen, rounded in the falling character's favor. Conventional forms of protection, such as armor, is not effective against this damage.
Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the damage value (DV) of the fall by as much as half, while particularly unforgiving surfaces may double the damage value.
Fire
The damage value (DV) of a fire depends on its heat and intensity. Any equipment or supernatural power that provides protection from endurance damage, such as armor, is normally effective against fire damage. The defense value of each target in the affected area is subtracted from the attack value (AV) of the fire: each target in the affected area loses one endurance level per round for each three points of remaining damage.
| Fire | Attack Value |
|---|---|
| Campfire, torch | 6 |
| Burning building | 8 |
| Burning flammable chemicals | 10 |
| Interior of a blast furnace | 12 |
| Molten lava | 14 |
Poisons
Poisons, venoms, and toxins are substances which disrupt biological processes when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism. The symptoms of poisoning are so variable that there is no easy way to classify them. Some poisons increase heart rate, while others cause lowered heart rate. Some poisons cause lethargy, while others cause hyperactivity. Some poisons cause pain or gastrointestinal distress, while others cause a mild, pleasant elation.
Immediately after exposure or ingestion (depending on the type of poison), a poisoned character must make a Brawn task roll against a difficulty based on the potency of the poison (usually difficulty 3). If the Brawn task roll is successful, the character takes no damage from the poison and suffers only incidental side-effects such as nausea. If the Brawn task roll is not successful, the character has succumbed to the poison, and they immediately lose one endurance level. Periodically thereafter, the character must attempt another Brawn task roll (once a round for very potent poisons, once an hour for very weak poisons, and once a minute for normal poisons, at the GM's discretion). Each failed Brawn task roll results in another endurance level lost. This continues until the character successfully makes a Brawn task roll, or they are administered the appropriate antidote. Once the character successfully makes a Brawn task roll against the poison or is administered the appropriate antidote, they stop losing endurance levels and begin to heal normally.
Some poisons have effects other than or in addition to endurance damage. A few such effects are indicated in the table of poisons below.
Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor, is not effective against damage from poisoning, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
| Poison | Type | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Amaranthine (gas) | inhaled | 3 |
| Amaranthine (solid) | ingested or injected | 3 |
| Seabat Venom1 | injected | 3 |
| Amaurotic Gas2 | inhaled | 4 |
| Blue Windflower Venom | injected | 5 |
| Hebenon | ingested | 5 |
| Black Vitriol2,4 | contact | 6 |
| Tetrocaine3 | ingested | 7 |
| Tetrocaine Gas3 | inhaled | 8 |
| Turbocurarine | injected | 8 |
| Benecyanide | contact | 8 |
| Vexxine Gas | contact | 9 |
| Vexxine Gas | inhaled | 12 |
- Character is also paralyzed
- Character is also blind
- Non-lethal
- Corrosive effects on the skin, eyes, and exposed mucous membranes
Sleep Deprivation
A character who goes more than 24 hours without sleep begins to suffer the effects of sleep deprivation. Initially, the character experiences weariness, confusion, and irritability. After three days without sleep, the character experiences hallucinations and decreased cognitive ability. Prolonged, complete sleep deprivation results in weight loss and ultimately death.
A character suffering from sleep deprivation loses 1 Reason per day until their Reason equals 0. Once the character's Reason is reduced to 0, the character loses 1 Will per day until their Will equals 0. Once the character's Will is reduced to 0, the character loses one endurance level per day until they are allowed to sleep. Under normal circumstances, the character will fall unconscious at this point and remain so for at least a day. However, if the character is physically prevented from losing consciousness, they will eventually die. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor, is not effective against the effects of sleep deprivation, nor is rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration.
Starvation
A character who goes more than 7 days without eating begins to suffer the effects of starvation. Initially, the character experiences weakness, confusion, and irritability. After three weeks without food, the character experiences hallucinations and convulsions. Starvation eventually results in death.
Characters suffering from starvation lose one endurance level per week until they eat something. Additionally, the character incurs a task roll penalty (-3) on all task rolls. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor, is not effective against the effects of starvation, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
Suffocation
A character who needs to breath but is unable to do so, such as someone drowning or suffocating, loses one endurance level per minute until they can breathe freely again. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor, is not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.
Extraordinary Attributes
A character's attributes in Rough Magic are normally ranked on a scale from 1 to 10. The tables below provide values for attributes above rank 10.
Brawn
Brawn determines how much a character can lift and how far they can throw things.
| Rank | Lift | Throw (25 kg) |
Standing Long Jump |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 kg | 1 m | 1 m |
| 2 | 65 kg | 2 m | 1 m |
| 3 | 90 kg | 3 m | 2 m |
| 4 | 125 kg | 4 m | 2 m |
| 5 | 180 kg | 6 m | 3 m |
| 6 | 250 kg | 8 m | 3 m |
| 7 | 350 kg | 11 m | 4 m |
| 8 | 500 kg | 16 m | 4 m |
| 9 | 700 kg | 23 m | 5 m |
| 10 | 1,000 kg | 32 m | 5 m |
| 11 | 1,400 kg | 45 m | 6 m |
| 12 | 2 tons | 65 m | 6 m |
| 13 | 3 tons | 90 m | 7 m |
| 14 | 4 tons | 125 m | 7 m |
| 15 | 6 tons | 180 m | 8 m |
| 16 | 8 tons | 250 m | 8 m |
| 17 | 11 tons | 350 m | 9 m |
| 18 | 16 tons | 500 m | 9 m |
| 19 | 23 tons | 700 m | 10 m |
| 20 | 32 tons | 1 km | 10 m |
- Lifts indicates the greatest weight that the character can "clean and jerk" (pick up and lift overhead). A character carrying or supporting such a weight can take at most one or two steps per round. A character can move normally while carrying a weight corresponding to one rank less than their Brawn. For example, a character with rank 8 Brawn could carry up to 350 kg and suffer no penalties to their movement while doing so.
- Throws (25 kg) indicates the farthest distance that a character could throw a compact object weighing 25 kg. To see how far a character can throw heavier objects, subtract the Brawn rank required to lift the object from the character's total Brawn rank. Look up the difference in the "Rank" column: this indicates how far the character can throw the object. For example, a character with rank 8 Brawn (the peak of human potential) could throw an object weighing 65 kg (such as a cooperative slender human) up to 8 meters.
- Jumps indicates the character's standing long jump. With a running long jump, the character's ground movement is added to their long jump distance.
Agility
Agility determines a character's base movement speed (running, swimming, etc.).
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Power
If the character is a supernatural creature or they can invoke the power of magic, the character's rank in Power determines the potency of their supernatural abilities.
| Power Rank |
Maximum Mass |
Maximum Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 kg | 1 m |
| 2 | 65 kg | 2 m |
| 3 | 90 kg | 3 m |
| 4 | 125 kg | 4 m |
| 5 | 180 kg | 6 m |
| 6 | 250 kg | 8 m |
| 7 | 350 kg | 11 m |
| 8 | 500 kg | 16 m |
| 9 | 700 kg | 23 m |
| 10 | 1,000 kg | 32 m |
| 11 | 1,400 kg | 45 m |
| 12 | 2 tons | 65 m |
| 13 | 3 tons | 90 m |
| 14 | 4 tons | 125 m |
| 15 | 6 tons | 180 m |
| 16 | 8 tons | 250 m |
| 17 | 11 tons | 350 m |
| 18 | 16 tons | 500 m |
| 19 | 23 tons | 700 m |
| 20 | 32 tons | 1 km |
Mass
| Item | Mass | Brawn Rank (to lift) |
|---|---|---|
| full suitcase, female human glamour model | 45 kg | 1 |
| large dog, slender human female | 65 kg | 2 |
| typical human male, small floor safe | 100 kg | 3 |
| heavy human male, refrigerator | 125 kg | 4 |
| weapon locker, racing speeder bike | 175 kg | 5 |
| large predator | 225 kg | 6 |
| speeder bike, medium floor safe | 300 kg | 7 |
| huge predator, touring speeder bike | 400 kg | 8 |
| riding animal | 600 kg | 9 |
| small civilian air speeder | 700 kg | 9 |
| compact land speeder | 900 kg | 10 |
| medium missile | 1,100 kg | 11 |
| large herbivore, full size land speeder | 2 tons | 12 |
| small military air speeder | 3 tons | 13 |
| armored land speeder | 4.5 tons | 14 |
| huge herbivore, empty cargo carrier | 6 tons | 15 |
| light star fighter | 8 tons | 16 |
| large military air speeder | 10 tons | 17 |
| medium star fighter | 15 tons | 18 |
| large missile, spice shipment | 20 tons | 19 |
| loaded cargo hauler | 25 tons | 19 |
| private star yacht | 30 tons | 20 |
Speed
| Item | Speed | Agility Rank |
|---|---|---|
| avg human running | 12 kph | 2 |
| max human running | 40 kph | 8 |
| fast submarine | 80 kph | -- |
| fast bird, cheetah, sailfish | 120 kph | -- |
| armored land speeder | 320 kph | -- |
| civilian land speeder | 400 kph | -- |
| speeder bike | 560 kph | -- |
| air speeder | 800 kph | -- |
| star fighter | 1,900 kph | -- |