Radiation Poisoning
Description:
One of the more common maladies throughout the Wastes, Radiation Poisoning in Dominus Columbia is something of a different beast. While not a Disease, but instead an affliction caused by overexposure to radioactive sources, with access to clean water, fresh crops, and medical treatment, the types of chronic Radiation Poisoning seen in many settlements is a thing of the past here.
- Characters entering play into DR:MD with a different variant of 'Radiation Poisoning/Sickness' from a different 'Frontier-style' settlement may treat that affliction instead as DR:MD's variant at two stages lower. If this would drop the Stage to 0 or less, the Character may consider their affliction cured unless other plot circumstances known to the Player or Staff would prevent that.
Within Dominus Columbia, physicians are used to treating far more serious massive acute exposures sometimes suffered by high tech workers in the Bailey's many Science Industries, or those caught in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to cross the area outside J Andrews Technology Enclave on the way from South to North. The effects of these exposure levels tends to be far more devastating, with the cold comfort being that as long as you can make it back, the doctors of the Bailey can probably take care of you (for a price of course...)
Transmission Vectors:
Radiation Poisoning, at least of this type, is largely the result of being exposed to an ionizing event or environment rather than sources as paltry as fallout contamination or inhaled particulates. From the cores of pile-style turbine reactors generating electricity for Settlements, to the foul rad storms of the South Bailey, to even more unthinkable experiments performed in dark places beneath the earth, residents of the Bailey unfortunately come up against this harsher form of Radiation Poisoning more often than anyone but a sordid few would like.
Symptoms:
Roleplay Note: Portraying illness symptoms is a matter of personal comfort. While mechanical penalties continue to mount, players should only ever consider roleplaying the elements of an illness up to their own comfort and preference, and should feel free to roleplay any of the symptoms they are comfortable with and exclude or downplay the ones which they are not.
NOTE:
- Characters reduced to 0 Maximum Mind by this symptom fall Unconscious. This cannot be prevented, but once woken normally they stay conscious unless they suffer additional Radiation exposure, some other mechanic causes Unconsciousness, or the Player chooses to have their character suffer the Unconsciousconditon.
- Characters reduced to 0 Maximum Body by this symptom become Shattered.
Designer's Note: We noticed a lot of games have Stage 1 that's purely cosmetic/roleplay for things like roleplay effects from mods or Darwin religious practice etc. As a result, we have included Stage 0 on the chart, and Players should feel free to inflict their own characters with Stage 0 Radiation Poisioning at any time they feel it is condusive to the story they are trying to tell.
Treatment:
Acute Radiation Poisoning symptoms fade with time and treatment. Left to their own devices, Lineages capable of healing normally will reduce one Stage of Radiation Poisoning per 12s.
