D&D 5E Fallout/Poisonous Environment

[Zardnaar]

I've been throwing around some ideas with the group for a post apocalyptic game.

Might be Darksun or based off Fallout 4. Not post nuclear but wondering how to duplicate radiation in game terms.

Basically the "taint" has poisoned the water at least for humanoid type life.

Water wind kill you straight away but it's not drinkable long term without being purified or perhaps coming from underground aquifers.

So the taint is probably in the atmosphere or is somehow purified by the earth.

Basic idea so far.

I'm guessing the "radiation" deals necrotic or poison damage. Drinking the water can potentially cause exhaustion that can't be removed via long rest unless you start eating and drinking purified food.

The taint also nerfs create food and water type spells or purify water spells so it's a magical fallout effect in game caused by the death of the gods.

This is the basic idea I'm throwing around atm.

 

[tomBitonti]

So … how technical do you want to get, and, how much do your players know about radiation?

Penetrating radiation (gamma and x-rays) will cause harm based on intensity and duration of exposure. Intensity falls off off at the inverse square of the distance from the emitter.

Non-penetrating radiation (alpha particles; I’m thinking plutonium emits alpha particles) are harmless unless ingested, at which point they cause a lot of harm. Alpha emitting dust is an nightmare to protect against.

Harm can be short term (exhaustion, bleeding, death) or longer term (hair loss, compromised immune response, anemia, cancer, inheritable chromosomal damage).

Contrary to frequent depiction in (bad) science fiction, almost all radiation induced mutations are harmful. In the best case, causing aberrant or missing structure. In the worst case being outright lethal.

TomB

 

[Zardnaar]

So … how technical do you want to get, and, how much do your players know about radiation?

Penetrating radiation (gamma and x-rays) will cause harm based on intensity and duration of exposure. Intensity falls off off at the inverse square of the distance from the emitter.

Non-penetrating radiation (alpha particles; I’m thinking plutonium emits alpha particles) are harmless unless ingested, at which point they cause a lot of harm. Alpha emitting dust is an nightmare to protect against.

Harm can be short term (exhaustion, bleeding, death) or longer term (hair loss, compromised immune response, anemia, cancer, inheritable chromosomal damage).

Contrary to frequent depiction in (bad) science fiction, almost all radiation induced mutations are harmful. In the best case, causing aberrant or missing structure. In the worst case being outright lethal.

TomB

Doesn't have to duplicate real life radiation. Magical effects including mutations in the fantasy/sci fi sense not reality.

Some areas will be "irradiated".

I'm thinking something like DC5 or 10 and each day you eat or drink the DC increases by one. Failed save gives you an exhaustion level that doesn't go away until you have clean food.

Very bad areas can deal damage and/or exhaustion levels just not sure what it will be. Thinking half necrotic half poison.

Are you familiar with Fallout 4? Or the series in general?

 

[Shiroiken]

It depends on the level of difficulty you want to make the wasteland be; if you want it to be long term hazardous, I'd simply have every creature lose a point of constitution per year exposed. If you want it to be short term hazardous, I'd go with requiring a Con Save DC: 10 after each long rest for the first few days of exposure, then increase the DC incrementally the longer they're exposed. Failure gains a level of exhaustion that can only be removed by magic or spending a week in a safe area (fresh food, clean air & water). This allows you to set them in a safe zone, with adventures sending them out into the waste, with more dangerous missions pushing them further away from safety.

 

[Zardnaar]

It depends on the level of difficulty you want to make the wasteland be; if you want it to be long term hazardous, I'd simply have every creature lose a point of constitution per year exposed. If you want it to be short term hazardous, I'd go with requiring a Con Save DC: 10 after each long rest for the first few days of exposure, then increase the DC incrementally the longer they're exposed. Failure gains a level of exhaustion that can only be removed by magic or spending a week in a safe area (fresh food, clean air & water). This allows you to set them in a safe zone, with adventures sending them out into the waste, with more dangerous missions pushing them further away from safety.

Out in the wasteland by itself it's not dangerous.

There will be hot zones and the equivalent of rad storms that would involve things you're suggesting.

The really hot zones will kill you quickly without protection. Safe zines might have food and water. Might be a farm or oasis with a water purifier.

Post Apocalyptic Eberron might be easiest way to describe it.

 

[MarkB]

I thought the actual game mechanic from Fallout 4 was a pretty clever way of handling it. Radiation exposure reduces your maximum hit points by a small value each time, and if your maximum HP drops to zero you've taken a lethal dose.

It's debilitating in a very tangible way, and it's more granular than the exhaustion system.

If you want it to do more than that, you could have additional effects kick in once your maximum HPs drop below certain thresholds - i.e. 75%, 50%, etc.

 

[jgsugden]

We already have the precedent in D&D that radiation is radiant damage in the form of Sickening Radiance. The change I would make is that normal rest does not heal this radiant damage.

Look at the rules for cold environments and substitute radiant for cold damage. That is a great starting point for persistent radiation areas. If you want to go Gamma World, consider adding a 'mutation' table and allowing PCs to roll on it if healed after taking this damage. Personally, I'd make those impacts generally negative, but fun.

 

[MarkB]

Also worth mentioning is the last chapter of Rime of the Frostmaiden, set in an ancient city subject to a sort of arcane fallout. The effect in this case is a magical malady which causes progressive effects including hair loss, clammy skin, paranoia and hallucinations, eventually leading to transformation into a Nothic.

That could work well as the equivalent of transforming into a ghoul in Fallout 4.