jgsugden
Legend
GAMMA WORLD, GAMMA WORLD!
I'd have mechanics similar to poisoning and undead life draining , but have it be lethal over time unless 'cured' with lesser restoration or similar magics.
Mechanics: Saving throw at exposure. You set the DC and save type based upon circumstances, as well as whether a successful or failed save will resort in minor, normal, major or highly lethal levels of radiation. For example, you might have a DC 15 Con save where success results in minor radiation and a failed save results in major radiation.
Minor: No immediate impact. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1 hp every day until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied.
Normal: No immediate impact. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1d4+1 hp every day until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied. You also gain a level of exhaustion at the start of every week. This exhaustion cannot be removed until your radiation is negated. Additionally, when you roll initiative, you take 1d8 radiant damage (from exerting yourself while sick).
Major: You take 1d8 radiant damage immediately. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1d4+1 hp every hour until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied and gain the poisoned condition until your maximum hps are restored to normal . Additionally, when you roll initiative, you take 2d8 radiant damage (from exerting yourself while sick). You also gain a level of exhaustion whenever you roll initiative, and at the start of every day. This exhaustion cannot be removed until your radiation is negated.
Highly Lethal: You take 2d8 radiant damage immediately and gain the poisoned condition until you are no longer impacted by radiation. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1d4+1 hp every round until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied. Additionally, when you roll initiative, you take 4d8 radiant damage (from exerting yourself while sick). You also gain a level of exhaustion whenever you roll initiative, and whenever you take any type of action in combat (but no more than once per round). This exhaustion cannot be removed until your radiation is negated.
Radiance immunity makes you immune to radiation. Radiance resistance cuts all damage and hp reductions in half (rounded down - making you immune to minor radiation).
Maximum hps can be recovered by taking a long rest after the radiation condition is removed.
A creature that is subject to any radiation condition that is the target of a spell or magical ability must roll on the mutation table to determine if the interaction of magic and radiation has mutated them.
Radiation table - Roll a d20. Add the spell level of the spell or magical ability. 1-15: Nothing happens. 16 - 19: Roll on minor mutation table. 20-24: Roll on major mutation table. 25+: Roll on wild mutation table.
Minor mutations would be mostly cosmetic - Similar to common magic items for XGtE, they would be mostly there to impact role playing.
Major mutations would have minor game impacts - 75% negative, 25% positive. One PC might gain/improve darkvision while another loses fingers.
Wild mutations would be the crazy stuff. They'd drastically change a PC. Extra limbs, growing a prehensile tail, necrotic touch, needing to drink blood to survive, etc... all of them would be a mix of curse and blessing, but mostly curse.
I'd have mechanics similar to poisoning and undead life draining , but have it be lethal over time unless 'cured' with lesser restoration or similar magics.
Mechanics: Saving throw at exposure. You set the DC and save type based upon circumstances, as well as whether a successful or failed save will resort in minor, normal, major or highly lethal levels of radiation. For example, you might have a DC 15 Con save where success results in minor radiation and a failed save results in major radiation.
Minor: No immediate impact. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1 hp every day until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied.
Normal: No immediate impact. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1d4+1 hp every day until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied. You also gain a level of exhaustion at the start of every week. This exhaustion cannot be removed until your radiation is negated. Additionally, when you roll initiative, you take 1d8 radiant damage (from exerting yourself while sick).
Major: You take 1d8 radiant damage immediately. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1d4+1 hp every hour until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied and gain the poisoned condition until your maximum hps are restored to normal . Additionally, when you roll initiative, you take 2d8 radiant damage (from exerting yourself while sick). You also gain a level of exhaustion whenever you roll initiative, and at the start of every day. This exhaustion cannot be removed until your radiation is negated.
Highly Lethal: You take 2d8 radiant damage immediately and gain the poisoned condition until you are no longer impacted by radiation. Your maximum hps are reduced by 1d4+1 hp every round until lesser restoration or similar magic is applied. Additionally, when you roll initiative, you take 4d8 radiant damage (from exerting yourself while sick). You also gain a level of exhaustion whenever you roll initiative, and whenever you take any type of action in combat (but no more than once per round). This exhaustion cannot be removed until your radiation is negated.
Radiance immunity makes you immune to radiation. Radiance resistance cuts all damage and hp reductions in half (rounded down - making you immune to minor radiation).
Maximum hps can be recovered by taking a long rest after the radiation condition is removed.
A creature that is subject to any radiation condition that is the target of a spell or magical ability must roll on the mutation table to determine if the interaction of magic and radiation has mutated them.
Radiation table - Roll a d20. Add the spell level of the spell or magical ability. 1-15: Nothing happens. 16 - 19: Roll on minor mutation table. 20-24: Roll on major mutation table. 25+: Roll on wild mutation table.
Minor mutations would be mostly cosmetic - Similar to common magic items for XGtE, they would be mostly there to impact role playing.
Major mutations would have minor game impacts - 75% negative, 25% positive. One PC might gain/improve darkvision while another loses fingers.
Wild mutations would be the crazy stuff. They'd drastically change a PC. Extra limbs, growing a prehensile tail, necrotic touch, needing to drink blood to survive, etc... all of them would be a mix of curse and blessing, but mostly curse.
