Afflictions

These procedures were written for use with Our Mother, the Sea and Violence, but I think they should be general enough to be useful for any game with a focus on survival.

Many a sailor would welcome a quick and violent death. More often than not, the sea takes her time.

When certain conditions are met, characters suffer from afflictions.

Each affliction has four stages. Although the details of afflictions vary wildly, the general effects of each stage remain the same:

Stage	Effects
1	Difficulty performing strenuous or prolonged tasks due to exhaustion and discomfort.
2	Difficulty with tasks requiring basic motor skills due to weakness and faintness.
3	Unable to perform basic tasks without aid due to delirium and confusion.
4	Death is inevitable without immediate and expert medical care.

When an affliction is treated, reduce the stage by 1.

The affliction’s tier describes the length of time it takes to progress to the next stage. Consult the table below for details:

Affliction Tier	I	II	III	IV	V	VI
Time to Progress	1 week	1 day/night	6 hours	3 hours	1 hour	10 minutes

Several common afflictions are detailed in this section (including their conditions, tiers, treatments, etc). The sea is endlessly creative – she has many more ways to kill you. Add or modify afflictions at your leisure.

Hunger

Hunger is a Tier I affliction that occurs when a person consumes less than 1 hlb of food in a day. It can be treated by eating normally for two consecutive days, or over-eating.

Thirst

Thirst is a Tier II affliction that occurs when a person consumes less than 1 hlb of water in a day. It can be treated by drinking the required volume of water for a day.

Stress

Stress is an Tier I affliction that occurs when a person sails for a week without rest or beholds something horrific. It can be treated by resting for 1d6 days or drinking alcohol.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is an affliction that occurs when a person is exposed to cold temperatures. Its tier is determined by person’s effective temperature, as outlined in the table below:

Temperature Rating	-20 to -10°C	-9 to -5°C	-4 to 0°C	1 to 5°C
Affliction Tier	VI	V	IV	III

Hypothermia can be treated by rewarming for 6 hours.

Infection

Infection is an affliction that has a 4-in-6 chance of occurring when a wound is not sterilized or spoiled provisions are eaten. Its tier is determined by infection’s virulence. If not specified by the source, roll 1d4 to determine the tier.

Infections are healed by resting for 1d6 days or taking antibiotics.

Radiation Poisoning

Radiation poisoning is an affliction that occurs when exposed to radiation. Its tier is determined by the number of rads absorbed: 

Rads Absorbed	1-99	100-199	200-399	400-599	600+
Affliction Tier	I	II	III	IV	V

Radiation poisoning cannot be treated. Symptoms fade in 1d6 days per tier. Characters afflicted with radiation poisoning die of cancer in 1d6 years – divide their time remaining by the affliction’s current stage.