Decompression Injuries

[Yak Face]

Does anyone have a set of rules cooked up for the effects of explosive decompression on a body? I've read some pretty interesting descriptions of the likely effects in various sci-fi books, and the movie Event Horizon had an interesting take on it. I have a feeling I'll need to be ready for that eventuality in the next adventure or two... Clearly the effects will worsen very rapidly as the person is exposed to vacuum. I figured I could research it myself and home brew some rules, but exploiting the efforts of Pit denizens seems to much easier... Thanks!
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However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. -Sir Winston Churchill

[PsiberDragon]

I don't have homebrew rules...

But, the science side of it says that it would take about 3-5 minutes for a person to die in the vacuum of space... Even if rescued before then... I'm thinking MASSIVE penalties to do anything more than just "be".

As for Event Horizon... great movie ... not QUITE sure I liked the ending... bue awesome, none the less..
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"Love like you will die tomorrow. Hate like you will live forever." - Unknown

[Esoomian]

Well it's called explosive decompression for a reason.

Off the top of my head I'd do 1D cumulative damage every round or so.

After one round they take 1D damage
After 7 rounds exposed to the vacuum they're taking 7D damage etc...

This is assuming I haven't mixed up rounds and turns. I usually do.

Also assuming the player in question isn't a Givin.
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[garhkal]

I go that route, but i start it at 3d damage for the first 3 rounds, then go up 1d a round thereafter.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Yak Face]

I couldn't resist looking for articles. Some rather interesting real-life data can be found here:

http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/vacuum.html

Looks like you can only stay conscious for 1 - 2 rounds. At first, exposure has little effect (30 seconds, 5 or 6 rounds), but it compounds rapidly. 90 seconds (15 rounds or so) = death.

Partial exposure is bad, but not fatal - the affected body part (assuming it's not your head/torso) should resume function once pressure is restored so long as it's within a reasonable amount of time. Howver, it will become painful and useless in the mean time.

After reading that stuff one thing is sure - I REALLY don't want to experience it.
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However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. -Sir Winston Churchill

[Yak Face]

Perhaps I can get a critique from anyone interested. I propose the following rule for decompression injuries:

FULL EXPOSURE TO VACUUM

End of 1st full round of exposure - must pass Moderate Stamina Roll, or fall unconscious

End of 2nd round of exposure and each afterward - must pass V. Difficult Stamina Roll, or fall unconscious

Round 7: Start taking damage at 1D at the end of the round. Take damage each round, adding 1D for each round that passes. (round 7 = 2D, 8 = 3D, etc.)

EXPOSURE OF LIMBS/APPENDAGES TO VACUUM

At the end of the 3rd round, the limb starts to take stun damage at 1D (versus the character's normal strength). The stun effects apply only to those actions that require that limb to perform them. At the end of each additional round after exposure, add 1D to the stun damage inflicted until the limb is "unconscious" and can not be used.

Long term exposure would lead to maiming at GM discretion.

If the body part is restored to normal pressure before maiming, the stun effects wear off over the course of an hour.
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However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. -Sir Winston Churchill

[TrueGrit]

Looks alright. With the above material in mind I would probably create some sort of 'recovery' period required before normal functioning can be resumed once a character is returned to atmosphere.
i.e. - if you were in vacuum for 3 rounds, once you had returned to a regular atmosphere you would be effectively incapacitated (in terms of being able to move around or execute an action) for 6 or 9 rounds (2 or 3 times the exposure time).
Also I would put a hard limit of 3 or 4 rounds in vacuum before being rendered unconscious. Exceptions could exist for maybe something like Jedi Hibernation, etc.

[garhkal]

I could see making it:

Round 1 of exposure, difficult stamina roll to avoid going out.
Round 2: V.diff
Round 3: Heroic
Round 4: Heroic+10...
And the damage starting at round 3 at 3d and going up from there..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Yak Face]

Excellent ideas - they make good sense. A recovery period is only reasonable, and the ever-escalating Stamina check insures that the character with freakish 8D stamina can't just swim around in space forever. Thanks very much for the feedback!
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However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. -Sir Winston Churchill

[garhkal]

Thanks Yak... feel free to use any of this.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!