Rough Magic 4e EN:GM Resources

Contents

This chapter provides additional information for the game moderator, such as the mass of commonplace objects and the speed of various creatures and vehicles.

Hostile Environments

Table: Hostile environments

Environment	Effect
Darkness	Attack and defense penalties
Dehydration	Maximum Endurance reduced, once per day; -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on all tasks
Exhaustion	Cumulative penalties
Exposure	Maximum Endurance reduced, from once per hour to once per six hours
Falling	Lose one Endurance for each five meters fallen
Fire	Damage depends on heat and intensity, once per round
Poisons	Maximum Endurance reduced, from once per round to once per hour
Pressure	Maximum Endurance reduced, from once per round to once per minute
Radiation	Maximum Endurance reduced, once per week; -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on all tasks
Starvation	Maximum Endurance reduced, once per week; -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on all tasks
Suffocation	Maximum Endurance reduced, once per minute
Vacuum	Maximum Endurance reduced, from once per round to once 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 a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty. Conversely, if a defender can't see the attacker, the defender incurs a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty.

A character with the appropriate powers, 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.

If a character is suffering from dehydration, their maximum Endurance is reduced by one per day until they are rehydrated or until their maximum Endurance is reduced to zero. Additionally, the character incurs a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on their defense and on all rolls. Once the character is rehydrated, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by dehydration.

Exhaustion

Most people need to rest after eight hours of strenuous activity. If they do not, they suffer a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on their action value (AV) and defense value (DV) until they do. If they go more than 24 hours without sleep, they suffer another -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty until they get a solid night's rest.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by exhaustion.

Exposure

Extremes of heat and cold can be dangerous to those without adequate protection. If a character is exposed to extreme temperatures, their maximum Endurance will be gradually reduced until they find shelter or until their maximum Endurance is reduced to zero. How quickly their maximum Endurance is reduced depends on the severity of the conditions. A hot summer day without shade or water, or a frosty winter night without a coat, would reduce their maximum Endurance by one every six hours or so: brutal, but not immediately life-threatening. If the same character were in a blazing hot desert or in the middle of a blizzard, their maximum Endurance would be reduced by one every hour. Once the character is no longer exposed to the extreme temperatures, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by extreme temperatures.

Falling

Falling is treated as a normal attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The power level (PL) of a fall depends on the distance fallen: +1 PL for each five meters fallen (rounded in the character's favour), up to a maximum of PL 20. Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the power level of the fall by as much as half.

Fire

Fire is treated as a normal attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The power level (PL) of a fire depends on its heat and intensity.

Table: Fire

Fire	PL
Campfire, torch	12
Burning building	15
Molten lava	18

Very cool and very hot fires are outside of this range. A lit match can cause painful burns, for example, but it's less damaging than PL 12. On the other hand, the Earth's core is far beyond even PL 18.

Poisons

Poisons and pathogens are substances which disrupt biological processes when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism. Described here is a generic poison: your character may encounter poisons or pathogens which are more complicated than this example.

Immediately after exposure, a poisoned character must make a moderately difficult (DV 12) Survival (Brawn) roll against the poison. If the target has Alteration Resistance, they add +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS to their roll. If the Survival (Brawn) roll is successful, the character takes no damage from the poison and suffers only incidental side-effects such as nausea. If the Survival (Brawn) roll is not successful, the character has succumbed to the poison, and their maximum Endurance is reduced by one. Periodically thereafter, the character must attempt another Survival (Brawn) 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 Survival (Brawn) roll results in another reduction of the character's maximum Endurance. This continues until the character successfully makes a Survival (Brawn) roll, or they are administered the appropriate antidote (if one exists), or their maximum Endurance is reduced to zero. Once the character successfully makes a Survival (Brawn) roll against the poison or is administered the appropriate antidote, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

Some poisons and pathogens have additional effects, such as blindness or paralysis.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by poisons and pathogens.

Pressure

If a character is exposed to extreme atmospheric pressure, their maximum Endurance will be gradually reduced until they return to their natural atmosphere, or until their maximum Endurance is reduced to zero. How quickly their maximum Endurance is reduced depends on how prepared they are and the severity of the conditions. If a trained diver were 30 meters under water (approximately 3 atmospheres, or 30 decibars), their maximum Endurance would be reduced by one maximum Endurance per minute: life threatening, but not immediately fatal. If the same character were 300 meters under water (approximately 30 atmospheres, or 300 decibars), their maximum Endurance would be reduced by one maximum Endurance per round. Once the character has returned to their natural atmosphere, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by high pressure.

Radiation

Radioactivity is caused by the decay of the atomic nucleus of an unstable atom. Living things exposed to high amounts of ionizing radiation develop acute radiation syndrome (ARS), also known as radiation poisoning or radiation sickness. Acute radiation syndrome is an umbrella term for a variety of symptoms which occur within 24 hours of exposure and which may last for several months.

The symptoms of acute radiation syndrome depend on the exposure. Relatively small doses of radiation result in nausea and vomiting, headaches, fatigue, fever, and a reddening of the skin. Intermediate exposure can result in more severe gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms related to a drop in the number of blood cells, such as infection and bleeding. Larger doses can result in neurological effects such as dizziness, headache, or decreased level of consciousness, followed shortly thereafter by death.

Twenty-four hours after exposure, a character exposed to radiation must make a successful Survival (Brawn) roll against the radiation. If the target has Alteration Resistance, they add +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS to their roll. Failure indicates that the character has developed acute radiation syndrome and their maximum Endurance is immediately reduced by one. Each week thereafter, the character must attempt another Survival (Brawn) roll against the radiation. Each failed Survival (Brawn) roll results in the character's maximum Endurance being reduced by one. This continues until the character successfully makes the Survival (Brawn) roll, or until their maximum Endurance is reduced to zero. Once the character successfully makes the Survival (Brawn) roll against the radiation, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character suffering from acute radiation syndrome incurs a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on their defense and on all rolls. However, suitable treatment grants a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill roll bonus on the victim's Survival (Brawn) roll. Small doses of radiation are treated with blood transfusions and antibiotics, while greater doses of radiation require exotic treatments such as bone marrow transplants. Large doses of radiation are invariably fatal to normal human beings.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by radiation.

Table: Radiation

Radiation	PL
Fallout from a recent nuclear explosion	12
Vial of plutonium	15
Interior of a nuclear reactor	18

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.

Each 7 days a character goes without eating, their maximum Endurance is reduced by one, until their maximum Endurance equals zero. Additionally, the character incurs a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS penalty on their defense and on all rolls. Once the character has resumed a normal diet, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by starvation.

Suffocation

If a character needs to breath but is unable to do so, such as someone drowning or suffocating, their maximum Endurance is reduced by one per minute until they can breathe freely again, or until their maximum Endurance equals zero. Once the character is able to breathe normally, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by suffocation.

Vacuum

If a character is exposed to vacuum, their maximum Endurance will be gradually reduced until they return to their natural atmosphere, or until their maximum Endurance is reduced to zero. How quickly their maximum Endurance is reduced depends on how prepared they are and the rapidity of the loss of atmosphere. If a trained astronaut were exposed to a loss of atmosphere over the course of a minute, their maximum Endurance would be reduced by one maximum Endurance per minute: life threatening, but not immediately fatal. If the same character were exposed to a hard vacuum without warning, their maximum Endurance would be reduced by one per round. Once the character has returned to their natural atmosphere, their maximum Endurance is restored at the same rate it was lost.

A character with Environmental Immunity is unaffected by vacuum.

Mass

Table: Item mass

Item	Mass	Brawn (to lift)
medium dog, full suitcase	20 kg	1
full pony keg of beer, small sea turtle	45 kg	1
slender adult, large dog	65 kg	1
full keg of beer	75 kg	2
typical adult, small floor safe, wooden chest	90 kg	2
heavy adult	125 kg	2
racing motorcycle, refrigerator, wooden table	150 kg	3
weapon locker, gun safe, large sea turtle	200 kg	3
large brown bear, dolphin, harpsichord, lion	225 kg	3
motorcycle, medium floor safe, tiger, a Twinkie 11 meters long	300 kg	4
grizzly bear, large desk, riding horse, touring motorcycle	400 kg	4
polar bear, empty light wagon	500 kg	4
cow, draft horse, small sailboat	600 kg	4
compact car, piano, loaded light wagon	900 kg	5
civilian helicopter, medium missile, grand piano	1,000 kg	5
full size car, large herbivore, hippopotamus	2 t	6
small military helicopter, Humvee	3 t	6
armored Humvee	4 t	6
elephant, empty dump truck	5 t	6
light jet fighter plane	7 t	7
large military helicopter, empty tractor-trailer	9 t	7
jet fighter plane	10 t	7
international marijuana shipment, Polaris missile	20 t	8
loaded dump truck	20 t	8
private jet plane, empty train car	30 t	8
empty C-130 cargo plane, loaded tractor-trailer	40 t	8
Easter Island stone head, loaded tanker truck, bank vault	50 t	8
suburban house, Trident missile, M1 Abrams tank	50 t	8
loaded C-130 cargo plane	80 t	9
blue whale	90 t	9
loaded train car	100 t	9
locomotive, fishing trawler	200 t	10
empty 747 passenger plane	300 t	10
typical train	400 t	10
loaded 747 passenger plane	400 t	10
Space Shuttle	2,000 t	12
Coast Guard cutter, passenger train	3,000 t	12
Saturn V rocket	3,000 t	12
Eiffel Tower	6,000 t	13
freight train	7,000 t	13
destroyer, nuclear submarine	8,000 t	13
10 story building	9,000 t	13
Brooklyn Bridge	10,000 t	13
long freight train	10,000 t	13
large nuclear submarine	20,000 t	14
aircraft carrier	80,000 t	15
loaded tanker ship	100,000 t	15
cruise ship	100,000 t	15
large office building, loaded large tanker ship	200,000 t	16
Empire State Building, empty Ultra Large Crude Carrier	400,000 t	16
Ben Franklin Bridge, loaded Ultra Large Crude Carrier	600,000 t	17
Golden Gate Bridge	800,000 t	17
enormous skyscraper	900,000 t	17
Great Pyramid of Giza	5,000,000 t	18

Speed

Table: Item speeds

Item	Speed	Agility
avg human running	20 km/h	3
max human running	40 km/h	4
fast submarine	80 km/h	5
fast bird, cheetah, sailfish	120 km/h	5
arrow	240 km/h	6
fast car	320 km/h	6
fast helicopter	400 km/h	6
F5 tornado wind	480 km/h	6
terminal velocity	530 km/h	7
bullet train	560 km/h	7
airplane	800 km/h	7
pistol bullet	1,100 km/h	7
sound	1,200 km/h	7
supersonic airplane	2,000 km/h	8
rifle bullet	3,000 km/h	8
superjet	10,000 km/h	9
escape velocity	40,000 km/h	10
rocket	50,000 km/h	10
solar winds	483,000 km/h	12
interplanetary speeds	4,700,000 km/h	14
light	1,079,252,848 km/h	19