Hazards and Hostile Environments

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The galaxy has many more ways of killing you than through random violence. What follows are the many potential hazards you may run into as a combat medic, plus information regarding the various planetary environments our missions will introduce you and your teammates to.

Acceleration[edit]

High-g maneuvers and sudden acceleration or deceleration can impose severe stresses on living organisms. If this is severe enough, a being may lose consciousness.

As a rule of thumb, assign 0.5 g per 15 k/ph added to or subtracted from speed in one second. The higher the felt g-force, the more severe the effects. G-suits and other protective elements can easily halve the felt g-force. Factor in elements such as gravity webs, inertial dampeners and gravity compensators which can reduce the actual experienced g-force.

The primary result of acceleration is using a sense of being stunned, or “graying out”. At worst, a being will blackout from a period of one minute to an hour, depending on the felt g-forces. Beyond that, unless you are the pilot of a craft or sustain damage being thrown against or falling down on an object, the effects will be minimal and easily recovered from. Additional damage may come in the form of pressure damage to the ears and eyes, which is covered in another section.

Acid[edit]

Acids range from extremely weak, through medium strong, to extremely strong. Most laboratory acids are dangerous only to the eyes. However, very strong or super-concentrated acids can burn through locks, body armor, and flesh. Caustic chemicals also make useful poisons, which burn out a victim’s gastrointestinal tract.

When a strong acid is simply splashed on a victim, unprotected flesh will be burnt. If immersed in acid, armor will be eaten away and flesh will slowly be devoured. If acid splashes a victim’s face, there is a danger of acid burning the eyes; which may result in immediate blindness.

Acid also eats through vulnerable materials. If not eaten through, armor will suffer pitting and corrosion. Acids used on locks, pins or other small items will take from 1-6 minutes to eat through.

Several caustic poisons are suitable for use in food. These substances are no harder to disguise than any other poison. Anyone who swallows caustic material takes internal damage, usually uncontrolled bleeding and must be treated immediately. An attempt to cause vomiting may merely cause more damage to the esophagus. Proper treatment consists of feeding the victim a slightly alkaline solution to absorb the toxin. Egg white, milk, and soapy solutions are all useful antidotes.

Altitude[edit]

Extremely high altitude, as encountered in high mountainous regions, are hard on the human body.

On most standard worlds, an unprotected human will have trouble breathing at above 10,000 feet, and will also suffer from cold. Unless a character has an oxygen mask, fatigue will set in twice as fast for any exertion between 10,000 and 15,000 feet.

Above 15,000 feet, an oxygen mask (or life support) is required, and protection from cold is mandatory. Five minutes of exertion will cause fatigue.

High altitude natives are acclimatized and the fatigue detriment does not apply. Keep in mind that deviations in air pressure between planets are almost an element in how a person is affected.

Altitude Sickness[edit]

Altitude Sickness can be a serious problem above 10,000 feet. Altitude sickness is a group of related physical problems brought on by a rapid rise in elevation and heavy exertion. Most people are not severely affected, though the problems which occur are serious from mild to extremely severe; as follows.

  • Acute Mountain Sickness. In its mildest form, symptoms include headaches, exhaustion, and shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, and severe vomiting. If not cared for, usually by resting and eating, an affected person could suffer cerebral edema.
  • Pulmonary Edema. Symptoms are coughing, shortness of breath and bubbling noises in the lungs. As the condition worsens, the victim will begin to cough up a pinkish foam, then fall into a stupor followed by death. A victim must be taken to a lower altitude in order for recovery chances to occur. Recovery can take from 3-15 days.
  • Cerebral Edema. This is caused by fluids in the brain. Symptoms include violent headaches, weakness, staggering, dizziness, hallucinations, and babbling. The victim will eventually lapse into a coma and die. Recovery comes in the form of taking the victim to a lower altitude and obtaining medical assistance. A full recovery can take from 5-21 days.

Arctic/Cold Weather Hazards[edit]

Wind Chill Factors[edit]

Wind lowers the effective temperature for those exposed. The following chart can be used to determine the wind chill effect. The intersection of wind speed and thermometer reading is the effective temperature; being wet lowers the effective temperature by 20 degrees.

Wind speed (mph) Thermometer Reading (F) 0 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 5 27 16 6 -5 -15 -26 -36 -46 10 16 4 -9 -21 -33 -46 -58 -70 15 9 -5 -18 -36 -45 -58 -72 -85 20 4 -10 -24 -39 -53 -67 -82 -97 25 0 -15 -25 -44 -59 -74 -88 -103 30 -2 -18 -33 -48 -63 -79 -94 -110 35 -4 -20 -35 -49 -67 -82 -98 -115 40 -6 -21 -37 -53 -69 -85 -100 -116

Whiteouts[edit]

Whiteouts occur when the ground is covered with snow and the sky is a low, white overcast. The horizon disappears as the sky and ground merge into a blanket of white causing all sense of depth perception to disappear. Travel in a whiteout is possible at ¾ normal speed. Combat is also possible, but very difficult and hazardous.

Sunburn[edit]

Sunburn is the most likely arctic hazard. The long daylight and the reflectivity of ice and snow crystals combine to burn face, hands, lips, eyelids – even the roof of the mouth and inside the nose. Unprotected flesh of any kind is susceptible to a first degree burn over a 6 hour stretch and second degree at 10-14 hours.

Snow Blindness[edit]

Traveling through a sunlight snow field, a whiteout or other bright condition can lead to a temporary (but painful) affliction called snow blindness. This is a sunburn of the eyes; they swell shut and exposure to light becomes extremely painful.

Anyone without eye protection will go snow blind after 6-15 hours in such conditions. They will be blind and at reduced health due to the pain until the swelling goes down and the eyes heal. First aid for snow blindness is cold packs and total darkness. Pain relievers of an opiate nature will negate the health risks as the body will attempt to overcompensate to reduce any potential nerve damage.

Thin Ice[edit]

Anyone suddenly immersed in water may be susceptible to a shock to the system from the sub-freezing temperature. It is important to get the victim warm and, more importantly, dry as soon as possible to avoid any other ailment.

Crevasses[edit]

Crevasses (cracks) form when large sections of frozen snow and ice move too rapidly for the surrounding ice to keep up. These crevasses may be hundreds of feet deep and a few feet to many yards across.

Snow blowing across the gap can bury the crevasse. Care must be taken to spot these hazards.

Frostbite and Exposure[edit]

In arctic climate, the air temperature is almost always below freezing and wind chill factors can be unbelievably savage. The air can be cold enough to freeze a being’s lungs as they breathe, and frostbite will quickly attack any exposed area.

Various factors reduce the ability of frostbite to occur. Clothing is the fundamental means of protection. Shelter from the wind is a vital element in maintaining health and strength. Just as important is staying dry. Wet clothes will task the body and fatigue and physical damage is an immediate result if left unattended.

Icy Waters[edit]

Death in icy waters is by thermal shock rather than freezing; the main difference is that shock is a lot quicker. In water that is well below freezing and only kept liquid by its salt content, a strong being might live for four minutes; if they can be pulled out in that time, given dry clothing and a hot drink, they may avoid death by hypothermia. Maybe.

For each minute a victim spends in the water, their chance of survival decreases by 15%. It is imperative that they do not ingest the water, as that will immediate begin the onset of hypothermia. From that point on, the chances of survival are minimal at best.

Collisions[edit]

When one moving object hits another, this is a collision. Aside from the obvious physical impact (including overrunning and trampling if necessary), other factors are involved.

Whiplash and concussion. Any violent impact may jerk the crew and passengers around inside a vehicle, toss them through windscreens, or (at high velocities) result in broken necks even if they are securely strapped in. Assume that any collision in which the vehicle is brought to a halt of slowed by 20 mph or more does a factor of two of the average low speed collision damage. Namely, the faster you stop from high speed, the more injury is delivered. Armor provides physical protection, but not that from the abrupt shock. ADVICE: Wear your safety harnesses.

Different Atmospheres[edit]

Atmosphere Types[edit]

Here, we'll concern ourselves with effects of different atmospheres on humans specifically. Note that the details of a poisonous atmosphere usually don't matter to people without breathing gear. They die. Only in case of a very minor suit leak or malfunction will exposure to a highly poisonous atmosphere be survivable.

Hydrogen[edit]

Non-poisonous, but quickly diffuses through plastic or rubber and is very explosive in the presence of oxygen. This is definitely a hazard for careless spacers.

Oxygen-Nitrogen[edit]

This is the only atmosphere breathable by humans. Even if the gas mixture is right, pressure differences (see below) may make it less than ideal. That said, if the atmosphere happens to be super-rich in oxygen, critical thinking and physical stamina may be slightly increased.

Polluted[edit]

This is an oxy-nitro atmosphere with contaminants. The effect of the contaminants may range from merely imitating (wear filter masks or suffer minor health penalties) to deadly (injuries similar to caustic poisons). Note that not all types of pollution are immediately obvious to the spacer. If pollution is not detected with sensors, a medic may attempted to discover the source once ill effects are noticed, to determine the problem - and suggest a solution. Some forms of contamination are subtle indeed: these worlds can be death traps. Metal dust, microbes, allergens, complex biological poisons released in trace amounts by plants – the possibilities are, unfortunately, endless.

Carbon Dioxides[edit]

Carbon dioxide is unbreathable, and poisonous in large concentrations. A 15% concentration requires that each person buddy up with another and do a check on one another every three minutes. Working in a 25% carbon dioxide environment is strongly discouraged and required a check once a minute.

Carbon monoxide may also be present: it is deadly. Its symptoms are headache and dizziness in tiny amounts, unconsciousness and death at higher ones. At concentrations over 1% assign buddy teams and check once an hour. At concentrations over 2%, check every ten minutes. If a victim is removed from the monoxide, he'll recover. If not, he will die with a cherry-red face.

Nitrogen[edit]

Unbreathable but otherwise inert and harmless, except at very high pressures, when it causes nitrogen narcosis. The effect is that of happy drunkenness. The sufferer will not realize he has become irrational? but any observer can easily tell!

Reducing Atmosphere[edit]

Harmless but unbreathable. Includes hydrogen (see above) and methane, which can be recognized by a sweetish, oily odor.

Ammonia[edit]

Corrosive and poisonous, but easily detected by its choking odor. Exposure to ammonia requires a armor/vac suit check. Even a slight exposure reduces the victim's vision, as his eyes burn and water. After two exposure episodes, convulsive coughing begins and continues until clean air is reached. Severe exposure requires the victims to receive immediate treatment or be blinded.

Chlorine[edit]

Corrosive and deadly poisonous. Also easily recognized by odor. A few breaths of 1% chlorine will kill. Even 0.005% is dangerous.

Fluoride[edit]

As for chlorine, but worse; 0.005% concentrations are deadly. Take extra care with suit seals and armor joints.

High-Oxygen[edit]

Oxygen in concentrations higher than Standard levels is corrosive. An oxygen leak will make its victims feel bouncy and aggressive. At this level there is no danger except overconfidence. When eyes and nose start to bum, the level is becoming dangerous. Begin treatment as similar for ammonia, though without the blinding risk. However, too much oxygen also greatly increases fire hazards.

Nitrides[edit]

Corrosive compounds with a distinctive odor. Treat as for ammonia.

Sulfur Compounds[edit]

Compounds with strong odors. Usually a sulfur leak will be noticed long before it is dangerous. Otherwise, treat hydrogen sulfide as ammonia (but flammable), sulfur trioxide as chlorine, sulfur dioxide as ammonia.

Pressure Differences[edit]

Atmospheric pressure has the following effects:

Very Thin or Trace Atmospheres[edit]

These may as well be vacuum. Humans cannot breathe them, even if oxygen is present.

Thin Atmospheres[edit]

This will provide less oxygen. Those breathing it will move slower and fatigue more quickly. If a respirator is worn, this penalty does not apply. Vision rolls are at -1 (or more) unless the eyes are protected from evaporation and supplied oxygen by goggles.

Dense Atmospheres[edit]

Can be breathed with some discomfort, or a reducing respirator may be worn.

Very Dense Atmospheres[edit]

These require a reducing respirator to breathe.

Superdense[edit]

Any superdense atmosphere, regardless of composition, requires armored suits. If some of the constituents are poisonous, this presents a separate problem.

Corrosive Atmospheres and Equipment Leaks[edit]

Corrosive atmospheres will eventually eat through even the best protection, leaving spacers exposed to deadly gases.

The degree of corrosiveness governs the intervals at which the one should check a suit or vehicle for failure. In a mildly corrosive atmosphere (high-oxygen, nitrides or ammonia. for instance), this may occur once per week. In an extremely corrosive one (such as fluorine), you should check every hour. The presence of liquid water makes corrosive atmospheres even more dangerous, since acids can form.

At each interval check each suit or vehicle exposed. Vehicles with heavy or total compartmentalization have a benefit here. Unless armor has been penetrated, you should be fine. However, other factors come into play. For instance, vehicles in bad repair are much more likely to leak. An immediate check is also required whenever a vehicle is damaged or badly shaken up.

The outcomes of damage are (from best to worst): a slow leak, a fast leak or an explosive blowout. Specific results of each leak depend on the type of gas. Even a trace of fluorine, for instance, will send its victims to the hospital in minutes. Assume that mild corrosives will cause slight damage per minute until the vehicle is patched, and won't do controls or interior fittings any good, either. Severe corrosives, like chlorine or fluorine, will cause burning and poisoning and will definitely damage electronics and fittings. Hydrogen has no effect on its own, but once it combines with oxygen, any spark will result in a fireball.

In a superdense atmosphere, any uncorrected leak will blow out before the next check interval. If the outside pressure is Standard or less, vehicle cabin pressure can be kept above outside pressure, so outside air can't leak in. But this is impossible with denser atmospheres.

Some leaks can be detected by eye or nose, some can be detected by vehicle leak-detection gear or pressure sensors, and some just come as a fatal surprise to the occupants.

Patching a vacc suit leak requires 3 seconds (all vacc suits have an exterior patch kit, easy to reach).

Patching a vehicle leak normally requires a minute, mechanic's tools, and a trained crew member.

Electricity[edit]

Uninsulated characters who are exposed to electricity may receive a shock. The effects of this are highly variable, and can range from a nonlethal shock that stuns the victim to instant death. Where the exact type or amount of electrical damage isn't specified, the effects are based on the source of the shock, the length of contact and how well grounded the victim is, using the guidelines in this section.

All electrical damage falls into one of two basic classes, nonlethal and lethal..

Nonlethal Electrical Damage[edit]

This is typical of the damage caused by specially-designed nonlethal stun weapons, real-life electric fences and more mundane thiigs such as static shocks on a cool, dry day. These are generally high-voltage, low-power shocks, and are unlikely to kill, but can stun the victim or even render him unconscious.

In addition, stun weapons will inflict fatigue damage. Anyone receiving enough of a jolt in this manner falls unconscious but takes no further injury (although they will remain unconscious until the current is shut off).

Lethal Electrical Damage[edit]

Lethal shocks are generally caused by power mains, lightning, cinematic electric fences and ultra-tech beam weapons. This kind of shock cooks flesh and inflicts real damage; it may even stop the victim's heart!

Lethal electrical damage is treated as normal damage, although metallic armor may be of protective aid. If a character is grounded and wearing metallic armor, then lightning and electrical beam weapons will actually be attracted to him, giving greater likelihood to severe injury.

If the victim suffers lethal electrical damage, he may be physically stunned for as long as the current is applied and for at least 15 minutes after that. He will also be winded for another 10-15 minutes after that.

Instant Death[edit]

Electrical damage can also kill suddenly. A person who takes any lethal electrical damage must receive immediate medical care, usually an adrenaline shot, or his heart will stop. He will pass out and will die in 5 minutes (regardless of wounds) unless he receives CPR.

Localized Injury[edit]

Highly-localized attacks that don't affect the target's entire body - such as cattle prods - cause pain and burns, but are unlikely to cause long-term stunning or stop the heart. In this case, the victim is either physically stunned for a moment or not visibly affected. If the attack hits an arm or hand, anything carried in that hand may be dropped.

Extreme Cold[edit]

Deep Water[edit]

Each minute an unprotected diver spends in extremely deep water, he is in danger. A greater danger from cold water is hypothermia. If the effects of hypothermia are onset, the person will immediately go into shock. If advanced underwater communications are available, the victim may be able to vocalize a call for help. While in shock, he will continue to take cold damage, and in the extreme, the cold water will stop a diver's heart. If the heart stops, he'll die in 15 minutes, unless he's removed from the water and successfully resuscitated with CPR or defibrillation.

Once he recovers from shock, the patient will be incapacitated for a number of hours. If the injured party required CPR to resuscitate; add 18 hours to the amount of time incapacitated. and if defibrillation was used, add another day. An incapacitated patient is conscious, but cannot leave his bed.

Outer Space[edit]

Advanced technology has long allowed vehicles and colonies to withstand any degree of cold, even that of an iceball world in interstellar space, as long as there is a power plant to provide heat. Unless something goes wrong, the atmosphere in such a colony would be quite comfortable. But a malfunction wouldn't doom the inhabitants immediately; the temperature might drop gradually, giving time to make repairs or call for help.

Extreme Heat[edit]

Temperatures that are merely uncomfortable can be dealt with in the traditional manner: stay in the shade and don't move around too much. In areas where temperatures range from 90 degree lows to 130 degree highs. averaging about 110, fatigue comes on half again as fast as in temperate climates. If temperatures range from 100 to 140 degrees. Averaging about 120 degrees, fatigue limits will be reached twice as fast as in temperate climates.

In truth, our technology allows vehicles to traverse deserts hot enough to melt lead. We can establish colonies that can exist in such places. This is not likely to be needed except in very unusual circumstances (e.g.. secret outposts, mines for very rare substances). In general, the environment within such a colony would be very comfortable; however, if something goes wrong, everyone will die quickly.

Gravity[edit]

Gravity is measured in "Gs," or "gees," with 1 G being Standard gravity, measured as that of Coruscant. Many people have a personal "standard gravity" derived from their homeworld. If no standard gravity is defined, assume the person is native to 1 G. Lifelong spacers have a standard gravity often of 0.6 G or even less depending on the ships they grew up on. Changes in gravity make things heavier or lighter. This changes things like jumping and throwing. For instance, if a 1 lb. object is being thrown under 2 gravities, it weighs 2 Ibs.

Gravity has no effect on weapon use or damage. Even though you can pick up heavier weapons under changed gravity, you can't fight well with them. And primitive weapons do the same damage under any gravity, because their mass is unchanged. The exception is zero-gee.

G-Tolerance and G-Increments[edit]

All creatures function best in the gravity they are native to, but some creatures can tolerate changes in gravity better than others can. The amount of change you can tolerate without problems is the G-Increment. Normal humans (and other creatures) are assumed to have a G-Increment of .2 G. This means that each change of .2 G in the gravity will have a cumulative effect, as described below. Round gravity down. For an ordinary person native to Earth, 1.19 G is treated as 1 G, but 1.2 G is treated as a one-increment penalty. It is an admittedly inefficient conversion, but the application appears to be truthful.

G-Increments have to do with the way in which agility and health change with gravity. Strength changes are the same for everyone, regardless of their G-Tolerance, because they reflect actual weight. People native to worlds of different gravity will figure their G-Increment from a different base level. For instance, if your native gravity is 1.3 Gs, you will suffer the same effects at 1.5 Gs that a Coruscanti would at only 1.2. However, figure all other gravitational effects as for standard beings. Don't try, for instance, to figure out what a heavy-worlder's encumbrance would be on his home planet and work from there to find his movement on a light world. It all cancels out.

High Gravity[edit]

High gravity makes everything heavier. This increases encumbrance. For instance, suppose a person weighs 120 Ibs. on Coruscant, and has a load weighing 60 Ibs. On Coruscant, this is simply 60 Ibs. of encumbrance. But on a planet with a gravitational pull of 1.5 G, that load weighs (1.5 x 60), or 90 Ibs. And the person also weighs 50% extra, or 180 Ibs. So his total encumbrance is 150 Ibs. - 90 Ibs. of gear, 60 extra Ibs. of his own weight. This means he will move slowly and fatigue rapidly. In very high gravity, your own body weight is enough encumbrance to fatigue you, and mechanical aids can be necessary just to get around. Exoskeletons and contragrav chairs may be common on high-G worlds.

High gravity also affects other physical attributes, as well:

Strength (for jumping, throwing things, etc.): Multiply the distance normally thrown or jumped by the ratio of normal gravity to local gravity. Under 1.2 G, you throw things (or jump) (1/1.2), or .83, times as far.

Agility suffer as well, because everything falls too fast and your muscles are under extra strain.

In high gravity, something as minor as a stumble can lead to injury. If someone falls, treat it as a 2-yard fall at the local gravity. Injury can happen quickly.

Health is also reduced under high gravity, because the heart has to work harder.

Intelligence is effectively reduced, because of reduced blood flow to the brain and general fatigue. Exoskeletons don't help this. Lying in a fluid bath relieves the IQ problem, but you can't do much physical work that way.

Low Gravity[edit]

Low gravity makes everything lighter. Encumbrance will decrease as weight drops. Encumbrance may quickly reach zero, since the reduction of a character's body weight counts as negative weight for purposes of encumbrance. For instance, take the 120-lb. character described above. On Polus Massa (.5 G), his 60 Ibs. of gear weigh only 30 Ibs. And his 120-lb. body weighs only 60 Ibs. He has "saved" 60 Ibs. of body weight to apply against the 30 Ibs. he is carrying. His encumbrance is negative 30 Ibs.

Important: Negative encumbrance does not mean negative weight! "Encumbrance" is an artificial concept which includes a character's body weight. "Weight" can never be negative. Even a helium balloon has weight. However, your negative encumbrance does give some advantage. Each 30 pounds of negative encumbrance give you the ability to travel farther than normal. Example: Under .5 G, a 120-lb. character weighs 60 Ibs.; if no gear is carried, that 60 Ibs. is all negative encumbrance, giving a greater distance range. Yes, this is an approximation; it allows for clumsier walking due to low gravity, and makes the simplifying assumption that heavier people are larger and stronger.

Whenever taking advantage of this bonus, however, a being must take special care to avoid losing his balance in the unfamiliar gravity. If he misses it, he falls down.

Low gravity affects other attributes, as well:

Strength for jumping or throwing things: As described above for high gravity. Take the ratio of accustomed gravity to your local gravity. Under .2 G, you jump 5 times as far.

Agility is affected in various ways. For most purposes (brawling, throwing things), agility is reduced due more to fumbling than anything else. For activities like lockpicking that would not be affected by gravity, there is no penalty. And for a few things agility is increased by the above amount, because things fall more slowly in low gravity.

Intelligence and Health are not affected by lower gravity.

Microgravity[edit]

Microgravity means any gravitational field of less than .2 G. In microgravity, nothing has significant "weight," but mass remains. Encumbrance is rarely important in microgravity, unless the beings are carrying their spaceship. Health is unaffected. (Beings with lowered health from bad hearts or similarsystemic problems may experience an effective increase in health in near zero-G.) Thrown objects may go a long way.

Any microgravity maneuver except the most simple requires special care in performing. (Simple maneuvers would include pulling yourself hand over hand along ladders, walking with magnetic boots, or using ordinary hand items. Maneuvers requiring careful attention include firing high-recoil weapons without flying backwards; attempting to throw or catch items; acrobatics, and so on.)

Note that in the microgravity of (for instance) an asteroid with a 10-mile diameter, it is easy to throw things entirely away (escape velocity is only 32 miles per hour), and a strong man could jump into orbit.

Zero Gravity[edit]

True zero gravity is found only in space, spaceships, and non-rotating orbital stations. Free-fall situations use the same rules as microgravity, above, with a few additions. In free fall, things hang unsupported. A single person can move a very heavy object, but only very slowly. And stopping something in free fall is just as hard as starting it. If you have something to push against, you could start a ton of steel moving through space in zero G. And if that moving ton of steel traps you against your ship, it will crush you to death, once again, very slowly.

In free fall, thrown objects fly in straight lines, forever…until they hit something. Speed in zero-G depends on how hard you can push off from a surface or massive object. Once moving, you continue to move at the same rate until you catch or hit something which stops you.

You may attempt to slow your movement or change direction by throwing an object or firing a high-recoil weapon.

Movement in zero-G using vehicles, thruster packs, hand thrusters and so on is governed by the physics appropriate for the item. Movement along a bulkhead, hull or other surface in magnetic boots is a simple effort motion with little chance of danger…if care is given to the task.

Pressure[edit]

These rules discuss the dangers of extreme pressure when exploring the ocean bottom. Similar rules can be used for extreme atmospheric pressure, as might be encountered by space explorers on some worlds.

The greatest danger of the ocean depths is the extreme pressure of the water. Pressure suits, submarines and the like are generally pressurized to normal sea-level atmospheres. This makes the difference between the inside and the outside pressure tremendous. An instant pressure change from sea-level to 600 fathoms will, in general. be instantly fatal.

Chances of survival are greatly increased by the use of a pressure suit. Suit punctures are just as dangerous as running out of air. Small punctures will probably kill a normal human in 10 seconds at most. Major breaches can kill almost instantly. Fortunately. deepwater pressure suits are tough.

The depths of the ocean are also cold. For the effects of this cold on unprotected beings, see above. A being who goes from a high-pressure environment to a low-pressure one may also suffer from "bends".

Radiation[edit]

Radiation is insidious; it is odorless, colorless, and silent. Fatal exposure can be 1 reached In a few minutes, but death - an ugly, agonizingly painful death -can take weeks to come The following rules detail the effects of radiation damage on a being.

For most purposes, the "default" of gamma radiation IS assumed throughout these rule, unless specifically noted. All radiation moves very fast on the human scale: thermal neutrons are the slowest, but still move a few thousands of feet per second! For simplicity, treat all radiation as moving at the speed of light.

Aside from gamma rays, the following other varieties of ionizing radiation exist:

  • Alpha particles are helium nuclei (helions) stripped of their electrons. These heavy particles have very little penetrating power, being stopped by a few centimeters of air or by anything substantial. Alpha sources represent a danger only if they are in prolonged contact with the skin -in which case they cause bums very much like thermal bums, and skin cancer - or if ingested or inhaled. They are then 20 times more damaging to living tissue than equivalent gamma sources. Another danger they present is cascade radiation (not to be confused with induced radiation): objects bathed in alpha radiation gradually become ionized, as the alpha particles strip electrons from the object's atoms.
  • Proton radiation is also possible; it should be treated as alpha radiation with roughly four times as much penetrating power. Proton radiation does ten times as much damage to living tissue as gamma radiation does.
  • Neutron radiation is not ionizing by itself. Neutrons are progressively absorbed by matter (including flesh. which becomes slightly radioactive as a result - metal becomes highly radioactive). About 180 yards of air, 2 yards of lead or half a yard of water will absorb a neutron beam. Because most of the human body's atoms are hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, which can each absorb one neutron without becoming ndioactive, a neutron source has to be very powerful before it starts posing a threat.
  • Beta particles are free electrons. They are stopped by about 5 yards of air, 112 inch of water or thin metal, wood or stone. Magnetic or electrostatic containment is also possible. Beta radiation won't penetrate the skin; like alpha sources. Beta sources are therefore dangerous only if inhaled or ingested, or if in prolonged contact with the skin. Beta particles are five times as damaging to living tissue as gamma radiation is. Beta particles can cause cascade radiation, of so short-lived a nature as to be entirely negligible. So-called "delta radiation" is just energetic beta radiation produced when alpha or gamma radiation strips electrons from atoms it hits.

All of the above applies to the radiation given off by radioactive substances; rhe radioactivity found in cosmic rays (also known as Millikan rays). in the solar wind or in a planet's radiation belts can be much more energetic. Every time the energy of particulate radiation doubles, the penetrating power roughly triples. Cosmic rays made of particles typically penetrate over a yard of lead.

  • X-rays (also known as Roentgen rays) and gamma rays are high-energy light. They cannot induce radioactivity at all.

Protection Factor[edit]

All materials have a Protection Factor (PF), which determines how much energy (gamma radiation specifically) the material will stop. A PF of 100 means the material lets only one one-hundredth of the radiation through An inch and half of steel, or half an inch of lead. or 750 yards of air. has a PF of 2; a yard of water has a PF of 8: a yard of earth has a PF of 27; a yard of concrete has a PF of 64; a yard of steel has a PF of 17 million. Note that a high-energy particle beam hitting a thin slab of material will be turned into an intense spray of cascade gamma radiation.

Radiation Exposure[edit]

The radiation dose received by a creature is defined as the amount of energy absorbed divided by the absorbing mass. The Galactic System unit of radiation dosage is the joule per kilogram or Gray (Gy); 1 Gy=l Jkg. Other units include the roentgen (120 roentgens=1 Gy)j and the rad (100 rad = l Gy). While the Gray is the most common modem measurement, we will use the more familiar rad. Exposure levels from "hot" environments will generally be expressed in rads per unit of time. Such radiation "baths" affect large and small creatures uniformly. Exposure to radiation is most likely when people are handling broken or tampered nuclear power sources.

Here are very rough guidelines:

  • Handling the nuclear battery from a wristwatch or flashlight. . . . . . . . . . 1 rad/hour
  • A raygun or radio power source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 rads/hour
  • A mining tool or a moon-rover's power source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 rads/hour
  • A tank or starfighter power source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 rads/hour

Here are some other sources of radiation exposure:

  • The body's own atoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.025 rads/year
  • Bedrock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.10 rads/year
  • Maximum legal professional dose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 rads/year
  • One grain of ingested uranium-235 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7 rads/day (mostly alpha)
  • Fragment of the Alderaan exclusion zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 rads/year

Fallout on ground, one megaton fission ground burst:

  • One day after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 rads/hour
  • Five hours after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 rads/hour
  • Two hours after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 rads/min.
  • One hour after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 rads/min.
  • One gram of ingested californium-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 rads/min. (mostly alpha)
  • Solar flare, at Earth's distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 rads/min.
  • One gram of ingested radium-226 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.5 rads/min. (mostly alpha)
  • Bespin's radiation belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 rads/min.
  • Smoking a cigarra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.003 rads
  • Routine medical X-ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.04 to 1 rad
  • Professional Emergency Dose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 rads (once per lifetime)
  • One megaton fission air burst, 1 mile away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:000 rads
  • Food irradiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 rads

The dosage from cosmic rays varies wildly, from trivial to highly dangerous and requiring lots of shielding.

Effects of Radiation[edit]

Radiation dose received is measured in rads. The more rads you receive, the more likely you are to suffer an ill effect. Beings should keep track of each their radiation injuries, noting each dose and the date on which it was received.

Each radiation injury heals separately from all others received; after a month, it starts healing at the rate of 10 rads per day. However, 10% of the original radiation injury will never heal.

For example, someone spends a day in a "hot" environment, accumulating a 200-rad dose. After 30 davs, that particular injury starts to heal. After another 18 days, at the 20-rad level, the injury stops healing.

Radiation burns[edit]

Chronic, "somatic" damage At the extreme, the victim will develop cancer and die within a year. Starting a few hours after his irradiation and lasting through seven days. Radiation also causes "genetic" damage, but very little is known about its likelihood. Human women, who never produce new ova, are more vulnerable than Inen, who constantly produce new spermatozoa. (Caution: The offspring of a human female who has taken over 250 rads ever, or a human male who has taken over 100 rads in the last week is at risk of many birth defects.) Genetic damage under 100 rads is often undetectable by routine scans.

Haematopoietic syndrome[edit]

In addition to radiation burns, other effects occur within a day: nausea and vomiting lasting a day or two and loss of strength. If improvement is not seen, the patient may As long as the victim's vitals are depressed they also suffer from hemophilia

Gastrointestinal syndrome[edit]

In addition to the haematopoietic syndrome, other effects occur within 1 to 3 weeks: permanent loss of the health, as well as losing all his body hair. As long as vitals are in decline, the victim is at risk from opportunistic infections. He is also subject to bouts of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and prostration. If patient health is very weak, the victim's teeth and nails also start to fall out.

Cerebrovascular death[edit]

A dose of over 4,000 rads induces cerebrovascular death: within an hour, the patient loses many vital signs and must constantly be stabilized. Other symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, stupor, incoherence, hyperexcitability, loss of coordination, and then death.

A dose of 200 rads caused sterility and blindness for a few months, while a dose of 500 rads will permanently sterilize and blind any patient who survives such an ordeal.

Vacuum[edit]

The Maker must like vacuum... so say spacers. After all, He made an awful lot of it. Vacuum in itself is not deadly, so ship crewmen may survive briefly without air. They may even deliberately enter vacuum without protection or air if they have to.

You can't hold your breath in vacuum, and you might rupture your lungs if you try. The only safe way to enter vacuum is to exhale and leave your mouth open. You can then operate on the oxygen in your blood for a few moments if active, or for 3-5 minutes if moving slowly, or 10 minutes if passively waiting. Double these times if you hyperventilate first; quadruple them if you used pure oxygen. Halve these times if you were caught by surprise and didn't even have time for one deep breath. Once out of breath, the victim falls unconscious. Four minutes later, he dies. There is a chance of brain damage if the victim is saved after more than two minutes without air.

Rapid Decompression[edit]

If a ship loses a lot of air to a meteor strike, or if a respirator suddenly goes bad, a spacer may find himself trying to adapt to rapidly falling pressure. Popping ears are a sure sign of a pressure change. If your ears keep popping, pressure is still going down. If the situation is not stabilized quickly, the spacer must get to a pressure suit or emergency ball, or be in vacuum.

Explosive Decompression[edit]

"Blowout," or explosive decompression, happens when an area suddenly goes from normal pressure to little or none. This could occur, for instance, when a ship loses all its air to a meteor strike, or when someone is tossed out the airlock. Eons of pulp fiction to the contrary, explosive decompression does not turn its victims inside-out and quick-freeze them. What does happen is that the body fluids begin to boil away. Small blood vessels rupture, and the mucous membranes dry out. The eardrums pop violently. The victim is repeatedly injured, but does not die until he runs out of breath. However, if rescued, he must make face the following potential and immediate permanent injuries:

  • blindness in one or both eyes
  • the “bends” due to the boiling of blood
  • hearing loss in one or both ears

If the victim is not rescued, his body's liquid will boil off to space within a few hours. The remaining fragile, powdery husk will weigh only a few pounds. Memories and personality cannot be recovered from the dehydrated brain, though DNA (for a clone) could be saved if a sample were taken within a few minutes of death and kept frozen.

Reference[edit]

The information collection is adapted from GURPS: Compendium II Third Edition, compiled by Sean Punch, Steven Jackson Games, 1996