From: Matthew Bassett (Ext. 6571) <matthew@sa.rl.ac.uk>
Subject: A Simple Fatigue System for Elric!
System: Elric!
Here's a simple (yet hopefully realistic) fatigue system for Elric! (and perhaps Basic
Roleplay). I created it because I was a bit frustrated at the fatigue "rules"
given with Elric! and fed up with the arbitary rulings that I had been making so far. I
would appreciate any feedback on it.
SIMPLE FATIGUE SYSTEM FOR ELRIC! (AND BRP?)
I've tried to create a fatigue system that both includes the effects of increasing fatigue
on recovery times, and is also simple to use.
The main concept of this system is that of fatigue levels. Currently the fatigue levels
are just numbered. I would prefer to have them named, but I've not had time for that. The
following table details these fatigue levels:
FATIGUE EFFECT ON EFFECT ON
EFFECT ON RECOVERY
LEVEL ATTRIBUTES SKILLS
FUMBLES* TIME
0 0 0
0 0
1 0 0
0 1
minute
2 -1
-10%
+2%
10 minutes
3 -1
-10%
+2% 1
hour
4 -1
-10%
+2% 3
hours
5 -1
-10%
+2% 6
hours
6 -1
-10%
+2%
12 hours
7 -1
-10%
+2% 1
day
8 -1
-10%
+2% 2
days
9 -1
-10%
+2% 4
days
10 -1
-10%
+2% 1
week
* fumble penalties are halved for those skills that remain above 100% _after_ the fatigue
level penalty for skills has been assessed.
N.B. fatigue level 0 represents someone who has suffered no fatigue.
Attribute penalties are assessed against all attributes except SIZ and CON (ie hitpoints
remain unaffected), however damage bonuses will be
affected (because of changes in STR). The attribute penalties will not reduce an attribute
below the racial minimum. If that should occur, make another CONx5 check to avoid an hours
unconciousness instead.
Skill penalties are assessed against all skills (including non-physical ones, like Insight
or Oratory). The skill penalties will not reduce a skill below it's basic percentage. For
skills whose basic percentages are related to attributes, those basic percentages should
be based on the unpenalised attribute score for simplicity.
There are no limits on the fumble penalties that may be assessed.
Fatigue checks are carried as described in the rules as normal, but the player records
failed fatigue checks as a gain in one of these fatigue levels. For example an unfatigued
character running may fail a fatigue check (roll vs CONx5 I seem to remember from the
rules) and gain fatigue level 1, he may then shortly afterwards fail another fatigue check
and gain fatigue level 2.
Fatigue levels are cumulative, that is the effects of all the gained fatigue levels are
assessed together. For instance a character with fatigue levels 1 through 4 marked off
suffers a penalty of -3 to all attributes, -30% to all skills and for skills of less than
100% is 6% more likely to fumble (ie he fumbles on rolls of 93-00). Note that fatigue
level 1 assesses no penalties, it just ensures the next time a fatigue roll is failed
(assuming the character still has fatigue level 1), that fatigue level 2 is gained.
An unfatigued character gains fatigue levels consecutively, ie he first gains fatigue
level 1, then 2, then 3 and so on. Fatigue levels are not, however, recovered from in the
reverse order: they are recovered at the end of their recovery time, providing no further
fatigue levels with greater level numbers have been gained in that time. Ie our example
character in the above paragraph would first recover from fatigue level 1, one minute
after gaining his last fatigue level, he would recover from fatigue level 2, 10 minutes
after gaining his last fatigue level, and so on.
Once a character has gained and recovered from fatigue levels, he gains fatigue levels
from the lowest numbered levels first. Ie a
character who has got a fatigue level 3, would first gain fatigue levels 1 and 2 before
gaining fatigue level 4.
NOTES:
Characters who would reach fatigue level 11 fall unconcious instead, for one hour.
GMs may wish to use an additional option with this system: they may wish to assess longer
term fatigue levels without going through the earlier ones, for strenuous activities that
take a long time. For instance walking through hilly terrain may cause a GM to
automatically award fatigue level 5 to all characters involved, and a fatigue check to
avoid fatigue level 6. If the weather was bad as well, the GM might automatically award
fatigue levels 5 and 6, and a check to avoid fatigue level 7; and so on.
Problems I've already noticed with the system:
+ the mechanics don't quite fit in with the style of the Basic Role Play system.
+ the way I've described the system is too dry and mechanical (it's actually relatively
simple, but it sounds complicated)... anybody fancy phrasing it better?
+ the rules for recovery times may be a bit too simplistic and hard to administrate (ie.
you recover a fatigue level in it's recovery time providing you don't go past that fatigue
level in that time).
+ it hasn't been reality tested; the recovery times and the penalties assessed against
characters are more based on numbers I found convenient than any real known facts. They
sound sort of "first glance" reasonable to me based on my own cross country
running / hill walking experience, but...
Hoping for feedback,
-Matt.