Extreme environment

By Librarian Astelan, in Dark Heresy Rules Questions

Hi all,

I can't seem to find the description of extreme environment and it's consequences. I find the trait resistance that gives you a +10 and the survival suit that gives you bonuses depending on the quality, but I can't seem to find the problem itself.

I'm assuming it asks for a toughness test, the difficulty varying on the circumstances. I'm thinking that fatigue should cover the consequences, but I'm not entirely sure (and how much fatigue would you give for a failed test vs. cold temperature).

A reference or your thoughts are most welcome,

Regards,

Astelan

I'd rule it as a toughness test that gets cumulative -10 depending on the weather/environment.

-C

Any test really, usually it's Toughness, but it doesn't necessary have to be.

Like the Environmental suit could possibly give somewhat better protection against heat and fire for instance.

Reference on page 243:

"Alternatively, a character can be ignited by fire in the environment; for this second
case, at the beginning of each round after the first in which the
character is exposed to the same source of flames, he must make a
Challenging (+0) Agility test or catch on fire."

Perhaps a bit more far-fetched but there is also those Agility modifiers depending on environment.

Reference on page 246.

Like in case of tremors, the suit has some auto-stabilization parts, zero gravity having something similiar to mag-boots. I dunno.

Or rebreather gear helping against the effects of suffocation.

Hope that helps.

Edited by Gridash

Have the players test toughness every hour/15 minutes/less depending on the conditions, getting 1 fatigue or more, depending on the DoF, that cannot be recovered until they rest in hospitable environment.

You can start the first test at +20, ten increase the difficulty with each hour, so +10 in 2nd, +0 in 3rd, -10 in 4th and so on. Of course if they are dashing through the snow, you can have them test survival, or navigate (surface) to see how fast they go. eg 1 Dos = half speed, 2 DoS 2/3 speed, 3 DoS 3/4 speed, and 4 DoS full speed. Also if they are in deep snow, the person in front can have increased difficulty of Toughness test by 20.

So it seems you're all thinking the same thing.

Depending on the type of environment, you aks for a thoughness test that if they fail, causes fatigue. I like the addition of the more severe rule that to overcome this kind of fatigue, you have to find a more hospitable environment.

Some examples:

  • Staying in the cold at -15°C, asks for a challenging toughness test. Per degree of failure, they take 1 fatigue.
  • Staying in the cold at -50°C, asks for a hard toughness test. Per degree of failure, they take 1 fatigue.
  • Moving through extreme high winds (+150 kph), asks for a difficult toughness test. Per degree of failure, take 2 fatigue.

And so on...

Any of you feel that severe circumstances could do actual damage instead of fatigue. Staying in extreme cold without protection, resulting in frostbite (1d5-2 E damage)?

Damage?

Easily, depending on the environmental hazard type of course.

i.e. I doubt that a shard storm on a desert/barren world would "just" inflict fatigue damage - to unprotected flesh. :)

I think that extreme winds should give other penalties instead of fatigue. eg. -20 or -30 to BS test, to dodge or to other skills that require precision or patience. Also I would require strenght test or be knocked down or strenght test to move.

Damage without protection is ok, could be flat 1 E dmg or your 1d5-2 E without Toughness or armour on a failed test, plus fatigue.

I would house rule it, depending on the environment.

Say if they are on a world with chlorine gas fogs, mercury pools and other poisonous and dangerous environmental conditions and they decide to take a dip in a mercury pool. They would take fatigue and damage.

Same way also with extreme cold weather, where they start taking damage instead of fatigue, after a certain point.