WOIN N.O.W Natural Soak and Environmental effects

[Martin Kallesen]

Greetings.
I am here with a question regarding how Natural Soak interacts with the different types of environments.
As N.O.W states " Note that 5 points of cold Soak, such as that from protective gear, protects from cold." p.162.

Would Natural soak also count here?

The same regarding the different types of environmental conditions.
E.g:
Acidic.

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions
-Kall

 

[Morrus]

Yep generally speaking 5 points of SOAK is enough to protect against an environmental effect (assuming the effect make sense to be soaked — suffocation from a vacuum wouldn’t be for example! )

 

[Martin Kallesen]

That was what I assumed.
Would that mean e.g getting splashed with lava from a burst from a magma river would also be soakable?

Furthermore, would that also mean that having the 5 points of soak would make one immune
e.g the Conditions from Heat or Radiation (as both damage types can be soaked)
But still leave them vulnerable to conditions such as dark Areas that inflicts the severe blind condition?
This question is based on the following quote:

"Some creatures are immune to certain environments. Soak 5 (or more) of an appropriate damage type (where relevant) makes a creature immune to a
condition."O.L.D p.158

I assume that Natural soak would count as the relevant type of SOAK, as long as it is not against Psionic or Poison, please docorrect me if I am wrong.

And thank you for the quick reply

 

[Morrus]

A specific lava splash is just regular fire damage, not an environmental effect.

 

[MacD]

Blindness due to darkness can be overcome with special senses and equipment (NEW/NOW/ magic items in OLD); immunity by SOAK doesn't do an sense...
Following your quote, SOAK 5 only grants immunity vs conditions, damage has to be soaked as usual.
So, if a character gets 1d6 fire damage because of some lava drips, he's neraly immune

 

[Morrus]

Blindness due to darkness can be overcome with special senses and equipment (NEW/NOW/ magic items in OLD); immunity by SOAK doesn't do an sense...
Following your quote, SOAK 5 only grants immunity vs conditions, damage has to be soaked as usual.
So, if a character gets 1d6 fire damage because of some lava drips, he's neraly immune

It’s your game. If that’s what you want to do, go for it! I’m happy to answer questions as to the intention of the rules, but I’m not telling you what to do in your game.

 

[Drekin]

Yep generally speaking 5 points of SOAK is enough to protect against an environmental effect (assuming the effect make sense to be soaked — suffocation from a vacuum wouldn’t be for example! )

How does this relate to the rules about how SOAK functions?

"Soak only applies to attacks which target Defense (not Mental Defense) except for Soak which specifically designates psychic or psionic damage." O.L.D. p. 80

Is the intention that SOAK only works against damage from an attack? And not e.g. the Bleeding condition?
And then protection against environmental effects is only things like you don't freeze in the cold. Could you still take damage from a blizzard, if said blizzard was ruled to do damage?

 

[Morrus]

Environmental effects are generally not attacks.

 

[Drekin]

Environmental effects are generally not attacks.

Right, but say my team is inside an active volcano. It's very hot, to the point that the heat itself equals 1d6 heat damage every 1 min.
Would this be SOAKed? It's not an attack, but is it an environmental effect?

 

[Morrus]

Right, but say my team is inside an active volcano. It's very hot, to the point that the heat itself equals 1d6 heat damage every 1 min.
Would this be SOAKed? It's not an attack, but is it an environmental effect?

5 points of SOAK protects against environmental effects.