Radiation Burn
Radiation Burn Damage is physical damage caused by exposure to intense ionizing radiation or other forms of supernatural or technological radiation capable of damaging living tissue. At sufficient intensity, radiation can injure the body immediately, effectively cooking or burning exposed flesh without the need for direct contact with heat. Unlike ordinary burns, however, radiation can continue damaging the body at the cellular level long after the initial exposure has ended.
The effects of Radiation Burn can therefore be immediate, delayed, or both. Immediate exposure may produce burns and severe tissue damage, while delayed effects can include hair loss, open sores, weakened resistance to disease, and progressive deterioration of the body's ability to repair itself. A victim who appears to have survived a radiation exposure may therefore still be in considerable danger.
Radiation Burn Sources
Radiation Burn Damage can come from natural, divine, magical, or technological sources. Some environments may contain dangerous radiation deep beneath the surface of Otan, while Divine or other supernatural forces may produce forms of radiation unknown to ordinary science. Tinker technology can also generate concentrated radiation deliberately, accidentally, or as a byproduct of more ambitious experiments.
Examples include:
- Divine radiation produced by powerful divine effects
- Deep earth radiation from naturally radioactive regions or materials
- Tinker weapons that generate or project radiation
- Magical or supernatural sources of intense radiation
- Creatures capable of generating or projecting dangerous radiation
- Radioactive materials, artefacts, or contaminated environments
Radiation Burn Saving Throws
Endurance is the primary Saving Throw against Radiation Burn Damage. Radiation attacks the body's ability to maintain and repair itself, making the resilience represented by Endurance the most direct defense. A character with sufficient Endurance may withstand exposure that would seriously injure a less resilient body.
Agility may provide a defense when radiation can be avoided rather than endured. A character may escape an irradiated area, move behind shielding, or avoid a concentrated radiation beam before exposure becomes severe. Will may provide a secondary defense against the debilitating effects of radiation when the character must continue functioning despite injury and sickness.
In combat, however, Saving Throws do not ordinarily replace the combat rules. Combat actions, attacks, defenses, and the circumstances of the encounter determine whether a radiation attack reaches its target and how its effects are resolved.
Radiation Burn Mitigation
Radiation Burn Damage is best mitigated by preventing radiation from reaching the body or by removing the character from the source as quickly as possible. Ordinary armor may provide little protection against radiation unless it is specifically designed to block or absorb it. Effective protection generally requires materials or magic capable of shielding the body from the particular type of radiation involved.
Active forms of mitigation include:
- Lead-lined armor and other radiation-resistant protective equipment
- Lead-lined shields or portable radiation barriers
- Magical protection against radiation
- Protection runes and magical artefacts
- Potions that protect the body or counteract radiation exposure
- Removing the character from the irradiated area
- Shielding the character from the radiation source
- Containing, disabling, or destroying the source of the radiation
Radiation Burn Related Conditions
The most significant condition associated with Radiation Burn Damage is Radiation Sickness. Severe exposure may produce weakness, nausea, hair loss, open sores, and a reduced ability to resist disease. Unlike an ordinary wound, Radiation Sickness may continue to worsen after the character has escaped the source of the radiation.
Long-term exposure can also result in Progressive Tissue Damage, in which the body's ability to repair itself becomes increasingly compromised. Severe or prolonged Radiation Burn can ultimately lead to widespread organ damage, debilitating illness, and death, sometimes long after the original exposure occurred.
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