Rules for Environmental Conditions

[CRMcNeill]

So, as I'm working out rules for open cockpit airspeeders at high altitudes, I'm running into a block as WEG has no official rules for what actually happens (rules-wise) as Atmosphere and Temperature conditions become more and more hazardous.

For instance, what rules do you use when characters transition from a Type I Atmosphere to Type II, III or IV?

What rules do you use when the temperature on a planet's surface moves from Temperate up to Hot, or down to Cool or Frigid (we have all four conditions at the same time on this planet, depending on location)?

I think a variation on the Long-Distance Movement rules is a likely approach, where Difficulty of acting normally under conditions worsens the longer you spend in them. But at what point should Atmosphere / Temperature begin to inflict Stun Damage? Normal Damage? How much?

Opinions? I'd like to gen up a concrete set of rules for this...
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[MrNexx]

Just spitballing...

Temperate Type I is considered "normal" for most races. Moving away from that results in 1D damage per step per day. Two steps is 2D damage per hour. Three Steps is 3D damage per second*. Steps moved are cumulative.

So, you start off at Type I Temperate. You move to a colder world (not Hoth, more like Canada), and so you start taking 1D cumulative damage per day... 1D on day 1, 2D on day 2, 3D day three, etc. You'll avoid this damage with a relatively simple measures... cold weather gear.

You'd have a similar result moving to a Type II Temperate... not going to die from it, if you take some reasonable steps (a breath mask, for example).

Now, if you move to a Type II Cold world, or a type I Frigid world, or a type III temperate world, you've moved two steps, and it becomes 2D damage per hour. Again, steps can limit the damage... wearing a jacket and a breath mask will solve things on a type II Cold world, as would some Frigid-rated gear on Hoth. If you don't have gear, you're going to rapidly be in trouble... 2D damage in hour one, 4D in hour 2, 6D in hour 3, etc.

Lastly, we have three-step worlds... Type IV atmosphere, a Frigid Type III, or whatever combination equals 3 steps. 3D damage per second, cumulative. If you can't handle the heat, stay off of Venus, as they say.

Partially protective gear would help on a step-based method. If you're on a Frigid world with Cold gear, you're still having to deal with a 1 Step difference... not as bad as temperate gear, but still a 1 step problem. If you've got a breath mask on a type IV atmosphere, you still have a 2 step problem, but you're better off than the guy trying to bare-lung it.

*Star Wars, weirdly, has no minutes, just 60 "seconds" per "hour".
_________________
"I've Seen Your Daily Routine. You Are Not Busy!"
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/

[Meriba]

All these rules depend on species.

Temperature: SW: Planet Collection, p.20 (burn, dehydration, sofocation, freeze rules -eg. Jedi/Sith powers and fire systems)

Gravity: SW: Planet Collection, pp.20-21 (specifically explained there)

Atmosphere: SW: Planet Collection, pp.21-22,178 (...slowed reactions, reduced brain activity, poisoning, or a myriad of other effects can begin to occur within just a few hours of exposure... -general rules for poisons, confusion effects -powers?-, etc.)

[Naaman]

Perhaps a "condition" chart with penalties spelled out for each ailment is the solution. In other words, require stamina checks periodically to resist the onset of hypothermia, heat stroke, trench foot, asphyxia, etc...

You'll have to decide how detailed to make each effect, and how many effects to bother with.

[CRMcNeill]

[Meriba]

[CRMcNeill]

[CRMcNeill]

[garhkal]

[Naaman]

[CRMcNeill]

Okay, so here's the bare bones of what I'm thinking...

Environments will be rated as Normal, Strenuous, Hazardous, Hostile, Very Hostile and Lethal (based on Temperature and Atmospheric Type), with the following effects:

Normal - No roll needed.
Strenuous = 1D damage every hour, +1D/additional hour
Extreme = 1D damage every 10 minutes, +1D/additional 10 minutes
Hazardous = 1D damage every minute, +1D/additional minute
Hostile = 1D damage every round, +1D/additional round
Lethal = 4D damage every round, +2D/additional round

Normal for the vast majority of PCs will be High Temperate Type I (roughly human-normal atmosphere with a temperature range between 63 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit). Every step away from that Normal will increase the environment's threat level by 1 step.

The steps for Temperature would be:

Searing (57C or more)
Hot (High Hot, 43C - 56C)
Warm (Low Hot, 30C - 42C)
*Moderate (High Temperate, 17C to 29C)
Cool (Low Temperate, -4C to 16C)
Cold (-5C to -20C)
Frigid (-21C or less)

The names in parenthesis correspond with the various temperature types listed in the planet generation system on pg. 22 of the Planet's Collection.

The steps for Atmospheric Type are:

*Type I (Breathable)
Type II (Breath Mask Suggested)
Type III (Breath Mask Required)
Type IV (Environment Suit Required)

Basically, every step that an atmosphere deviates from the norm, either by getting hotter, colder or less breathable, the threat level of the atmosphere goes up by one step. For example, a Type II Atmosphere would be counted as Strenuous, but a Cool Type II Atmosphere would be counted as Hazardous. Each step away from Normal on either scale would count as a step up on the threat scale.

Alien species who don't breathe Type I Atmospheres would need to decide what a Type I Atmosphere would be to them.

In addition, protective clothing (anywhere from a good jacket down to a heated suit) would provide modifiers, shifting the Threat Level up to acceptable levels. Alternatively, protective coverings or Dune Stilsuits would shift the Threat Level down a step or more in hot environments.

Naturally, some planets may have environments so extreme that the damage listed above exceeds even a Hostile Environment (acidic atmosphere, volcanic heat, etc.) The Planets Collection already lists the damage for Vacuum (4D per round, +2D each additional round), so Type IV Atmospheres are presumed to be particularly nasty, non-vacuum atmospheres.

Thoughts?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[MrNexx]

Not too far off what I suggested. Looks good.
_________________
"I've Seen Your Daily Routine. You Are Not Busy!"
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/

[CRMcNeill]

EDIT: Added a couple more steps: Very Hostile and Lethal. I was rapidly running out of levels when trying to calculate the environmental hazards at high altitude, so I changed the rules for vacuum a little (3D initial + 3D/round, rather than 4D initial + 2D/round) and added an interim step between Hostile and Lethal.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[CRMcNeill]

I'm thinking of adding an interim step on the threat levels. There should be a level with an interval less than 10 minutes, but more than 1 round. If 10 minutes is 1/6 of an hour, and a round is 1/120 of 10 minutes, inserting a 1/minute step would result in interval differences of 1/6, 1/10 and 1/12. I'm also going to change the names a little, with "Extreme" between Strenuous and Hazardous. While the technical definition of Extreme Environment covers everything from dry deserts to the surface of the moon, I'm going to use it as a description of the most extreme environments normally found on Earth-like planets (such as at the poles or arid desert conditions).

So...

Strenuous = 1D damage every hour, +1D/additional hour
Extreme = 1D damage every 10 minutes, +1D/additional 10 minutes
Hazardous = 1D damage every minute, +1D/additional minute
Hostile = 1D damage every round, +1D/additional round
Lethal = 4D damage every round, +2D/additional round

_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Dredwulf60]

I imagine events and phenomenon could scale the effect up or down?

Like the difference between being outside on Hoth on a sunny day vs being outside on Hoth at night vs being outside on Hoth at night during a wind storm?

Would your environment system include the effect of say a sandstorm on Tatooine; ie shift the scale one level or would that sand storm be a separate dice mechanic that might inflict damage to exposed flesh?