Acoustic
Acoustic Damage is physical damage caused by intense or otherwise harmful sound waves. Rather than striking a target as a solid object does, acoustic energy travels through a medium and disrupts the body through vibration and pressure. At sufficient intensity, it can damage the ears, internal organs, nervous system, and other delicate tissues. The effect can range from a painful pressure wave to a concussive blast capable of injuring everything caught within its path.
Acoustic Damage is particularly effective underwater, where sound travels farther and more efficiently than it does through air. Creatures adapted to the sea have consequently developed both formidable acoustic abilities and defenses against them. The directional nature of sound also matters: a powerful acoustic attack may affect everything in its path while leaving creatures outside that path relatively unharmed.
Acousitc Sources
Acoustic Damage can come from creatures, weapons, magical effects, or specialized technology capable of producing exceptionally powerful sound waves. Some creatures have evolved or developed the ability to weaponize sound as naturally as another creature might use teeth, claws, or venom. Aquatic creatures are especially likely to possess such abilities, where sound can become an extraordinarily effective weapon.
Among the more notable natural sources are whales and certain crustaceans, whose specialized abilities can produce sudden and powerful acoustic effects. Tinkers have also developed weapons that exploit the same principles, turning controlled sound and pressure into destructive force.
Examples include:
- Whales and other large aquatic creatures with specialized acoustic abilities
- Certain crustaceans capable of producing powerful pressure waves
- Creatures possessing supernatural or magical sonic attacks
- Tinker weapons designed to generate concentrated sound or pressure
- Magical effects that amplify, focus, or weaponize sound
Acousitc Saving Throws
Endurance is the primary Saving Throw against Acoustic Damage. The body must withstand the sudden pressure and vibration without allowing the attack to overwhelm the senses or cause physical injury. A sufficiently powerful acoustic attack can affect the entire body, even when the target has not been struck by a conventional projectile or weapon.
The directional nature of Acoustic Damage can also give Agility a role in avoiding it altogether. Where an acoustic attack has a defined path, cone, or point of origin, a quick character may be able to move clear of the affected area rather than attempting to withstand the sound itself. The distinction is useful: Agility avoids the wave; Endurance withstands it.
Acousitc Mitigation
Acoustic Damage can be mitigated by preventing the sound wave from reaching the body, reducing its intensity, or disrupting the mechanism producing it. Because sound requires a medium through which to travel, specialized protection can be particularly effective when designed for the environment in which the attack occurs.
Active forms of mitigation include:
- Acoustic shielding, designed to absorb, redirect, or weaken sound waves
- Ear protection, magical or physical
- Silencing magic that suppresses or neutralizes sound
- Silencing artefacts capable of creating areas in which sound cannot effectively travel
- Creating physical barriers between the character and the source
- Moving outside the directional path of the attack
- Destroying, disabling, or silencing the source of the acoustic attack
Acousitc Related Conditions
Acoustic Damage can produce several effects beyond ordinary physical wounds. The most immediate is Deafness, which may prevent a character from hearing speech, warnings, approaching creatures, or other important sounds. Severe acoustic exposure may also produce Tinnitus, leaving the victim with persistent ringing, buzzing, or other phantom sounds even after the attack has ended.
Particularly violent acoustic attacks may also produce disorientation, nausea, loss of balance, or temporary loss of concentration. These effects are especially dangerous underwater, where a victim may already be dependent upon sound for navigation or communication. In extreme cases, damage to the ears or deeper structures of the body may cause prolonged or permanent hearing impairment.
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