I get the premise of it and understand how it works accept for using it in combat. Can someone provide an example if a character is suffering from 1 strain and the negative impact it has when rolling dice? Sorry for the newb question but wanna get the hang of this.

Strain just functions as an alternate hp pool, but for "mental damage and fatigue". It has no effect in combat unless you run OUT of strain. What happens when you reach your strain threshold is covered in the Core book page 31 I believe. But basically, you can become incapacitated if you run down to zero. The nice thing is that you can much easier recover strain than you can hp via Stims and other actions.

It would only come into play in combat as an effect.

That is, someone could target your strain instead of your wound threshold to incapacitate you. Stun damage similarly inflicts strain. A scary monster like a rancor or krayt dragon might cause fear and if you don't successfully resist it, you can suffer strain.

This is only important, as KRKappel point out, because when your strain reaches 0, you are unconscious or otherwise rendered useless to your party.

And this is different from Wound Threshold reaching 0 because strains recovers much more quickly.

Nice, thanks guys I appreciate it!

I'd just like to point out that your strain actually starts at zero and goes up. It also only becomes a problem when it is higher than your threshold, not when it reaches your threshold. Please forget everything you know about HP from D&D.

I'd just like to point out that your strain actually starts at zero and goes up. It also only becomes a problem when it is higher than your threshold, not when it reaches your threshold. Please forget everything you know about HP from D&D.

If I'm wrong, which is possible, then I TOTALLY missed the boat and I apologize.

I'd just like to point out that your strain actually starts at zero and goes up. It also only becomes a problem when it is higher than your threshold, not when it reaches your threshold. Please forget everything you know about HP from D&D.

Im pretty sure your Strain Threshold starts at a value dependent on your Species, and goes down until it hits 0. You "suffer" Strain, you don't accumulate it.

If I'm wrong, which is possible, then I TOTALLY missed the boat and I apologize.

Nope, and that is not how wounds work either. You pass out when your strain or wounds exceeds your threshold.

I'd just like to point out that your strain actually starts at zero and goes up. It also only becomes a problem when it is higher than your threshold, not when it reaches your threshold. Please forget everything you know about HP from D&D.

Im pretty sure your Strain Threshold starts at a value dependent on your Species, and goes down until it hits 0. You "suffer" Strain, you don't accumulate it.

If I'm wrong, which is possible, then I TOTALLY missed the boat and I apologize.

Nope, and that is not how wounds work either. You pass out when your strain or wounds exceeds your threshold.

Can you show me a page reference for this?

In practice I suppose it doesn't matter whether you subtract down from your Threshold or start at 0 and count up, but I would like to know how it is intended to be tracked. I've looked for reference to this and can't find any specific passage either way.

It just seems odd that when you heal you actually SUBTRACT rather than add. Very confusing.

You don't have hit points. Your body and mind have certain capacities for trauma; that is the threshold.

So, when you are damaged, you gain wounds. When the amount of wounds you have taken exceeds your body's ability to withstand the pain/trauma (i.e. wounds have exceeded the threshold), you are defeated.

When the amount of emotional/mental/psychological stress goes past a certain point (your strain has exceeded the threshold), you are defeated.

You're not losing health. You're gaining wounds.

Healing removes wounds rather than adding health.

... That makes sense. Thanks. : )

Definitely will have to start applying it where damage is added as opposed to taken away. Makes more sense with the wording of the system. Just have to remove myself from the DnD mindset

As long as you view them as "wounds" (not HP) and "threshholds" you should be okay.

It does feel odd though, I'll grant you that!

I've been having a helluva time getting my players to get away from the "subtracting from HP" mindset. I really don't want to reword every rule when I try to explain it to them. I personally like adding wounds rather than subtracting from hit points. Its really easy to use tally/hash marks to keep track of stuff.

It's a cosmetic difference either way. At least mathematically there's no difference. That being said, yeah, it's supposed to add up.

There is sort of a difference. I'm guessing most people who think you count down are getting incapacitated one point too soon.

If your strain threshold is 12 and you've got 12 strain you are still in the fight. If you get one more then you exceed your threshold and pass out.

If you think that your strain starts at 12 and as you suffer it it goes down, then you are probably having your character pass out at 0 rather than -1 which would be equivalent.

It might be helpful for players not getting used to the 'adding up' idea to think of it like output levels on a stereo: when it's nice and low and comfortable, you're enjoying yourself. If you push it up into the red zone, your ears are bleeding and your neighbours are phoning the cops.

Adding weights onto a benchpress bar would be a good comparison, too...