Environmental Factors

Transhumans have adapted to many environments, but there are many risks that must be accounted for.

Asphyxiation

The average transhuman can hold their breath for two minutes before blacking out. Strenuous activity reduces this amount of time (GM discretion). For every 30 seconds after the first minute your biomorph is prevented from breathing, you must make a SOM Check. Apply a cumulative −10 modifier each time you roll. If you fail, you immediately fall unconscious, are treated as if you have taken temporary damage equal to your Durability, and suffer 10 temporary DV per minute until you reach your Death Rating and die or manage to breathe again. This temporary damage does not cause wounds. Once revived, the temporary damage is removed, but you need 1 minute of recovery before you can act.

Asphyxiation is a terrifying process, often leading to panic. Asphyxiating characters must make a WIL Check every 30 seconds. If you fail, you suffer SV 1d6 and cannot perform any effective action to rescue yourself that action turn; you can make an additional WIL Check every turn to recover your wits. Even if you succeed, however, you must make a WIL Check to perform any other action not directly related to rescuing yourself (attacking anything holding you underwater is exempt from this rule).

Decompression

Habitats and ships sometimes lose air pressure due to damage to their hulls from combat, explosions, space debris collisions, or micrometeor strikes. Most transhumans will quickly recognize the signs of rapid decompression; biomorphs that fail to acquire a supply of air in time may suffer from asphyxiation.

Explosive decompression occurs when the air pressure suddenly vents all at once and drops to nothing. If you are in the vicinity of a blowout and not tied down, make a REF Check to grab something to hold on to in time to avoid being blasted into space (Vacuum). Even if you succeed, you must continue to make a SOM Check each action turn to hold on until the atmosphere entirely drains. You may also need to make a Fray Test to avoid being struck by debris or other people as they are sucked out (DV 1d10+, depending on local clutter conditions).

Falling

If gravity pulls you towards an unwelcome collision, use the Falling Damage table to determine the result. Kinetic armor mitigates this damage at half its value. GMs may also reduce this damage if anything helped to break the fall (branches, soft surface) at their discretion. Double the distance categories for low gravity; halve them for high gravity.

Falling Damage

Distance Fallen	Damage Value
1–2 meters	1d10
3–5 meters	2d10
6–8 meters	3d10
Over 8 meters	+1 per meter

Fire

Objects that come into contact with extreme heat or flames may catch fire at the GM’s discretion, keeping in mind both the flammability of the material and the strength of the heat/flames. Burning items or characters suffer DV 1d6 each action turn. Energy armor protects against this damage, though it too may catch fire, reducing its value by the damage inflicted. Depending on environmental conditions, fires are likely to grow larger unless somehow abated. Every 5 action turns, increase the DV inflicted (first to 1d10, then 2d10, then 3d10, then by increments of +5). Adverse conditions (such as rain) or efforts to extinguish the blaze will reduce the DV accordingly.

Note that fire does not burn in vacuum. In microgravity, fire burns in a sphere and grows more slowly, as expanding gases push away the oxygen (increase the DV every 10 action turns). If there is a lack of air circulation, some microgravity fires may extinguish themselves.

Gravity

Most characters in Eclipse Phase have considerable experience maneuvering in low gravity or microgravity and can perform normal actions without penalties. Even characters who grew up on planetary bodies or in rotating habitats have some familiarity thanks to childhood training in simulspace educational scenarios. The same is also true in reverse; characters who grew up in free fall have likely experienced life in a gravity well or simulations of it.

At the GM’s discretion, characters who have spent long periods acclimating to one range of gravity may find a shift in conditions challenging to cope with, at least until they acclimate; apply a −10 modifier to both physical and social skills. The physical penalty results from simple difficulties in maneuvering. The social penalty applies because it’s hard to look impressive, intimidating, or seductive when you haven’t figured out how to arrange your clothes so that they don’t float up into your face. Increase the penalty to −20 for situations involving combat or fine manipulation. Acclimation typically takes about 3 days.

Any biomorph with biomods is immune to the ill health effects of long-term exposure to microgravity.

Microgravity

Microgravity includes both zero g and gravities that are slightly higher but negligible. These conditions are found in space, on asteroids and some small moons, and on (parts of) spaceships and habitats that are not rotated for simulated gravity. Objects in microgravity are effectively weightless, but size and mass are still factors.

Things behave differently in microgravity:

• Objects not anchored will drift in whatever direction they were last moving. Floating objects will eventually settle in the direction of the densest part of the habitat or spacecraft.
• Thrown or pushed items will travel in a straight line until they hit something.
• Smoke does not rise in streams. Instead, it forms a roughly spherical halo around its source.
• Liquids scatter into clouds of droplets if released into the air. Surface tension may hold some liquids into large floating balls depending on how they are dispersed. Drinks come in sealed bulbs or bottles. Food is eaten so that sauces and bits of liquid don’t escape. Blood goes everywhere.

Movement and maneuvering in microgravity is handled using the Free Fall skill for most morphs; others might fly using Athletics, Pilot: Air, Pilot: Space, depending on how they move. Most everyday activity in free fall does not require a test. The GM can, however, call for a Free Fall Test for any complicated maneuvers, flying across major distances, sudden changes in direction or velocity, or when engaged in melee combat. A failed roll means you miscalculate and end up in a position other than intended. A superior or critical failure means you screwed up badly, slamming into a wall or spinning off into space.

Most microgravity habitats are equipped with elastic loops to grab onto, mesh pockets to keep objects from floating all over, and moving beltways with hand loops for major thoroughfares. Magnetic or velcro shoes are commonly used to walk around, rather than climbing or flying. Zero-g environments are designed to make maximum use of space, however, taking advantage of the lack of ceilings and floors. Because objects are weightless, characters can move even massive objects around easily.

Escape Velocity: It is not difficult to reach escape velocity on small asteroids and similar bodies — something to keep in mind with thrown objects and projectile weapons. In some cases, characters who move fast enough and jump can reach escape velocity themselves, though these situations are left up to the GM.

Low Gravity

Low gravity includes anything from 0.5 g to microgravity. These conditions are found on Luna, Mars, Titan, and the rotating parts of most spun spacecraft and habitats. Low gravity is not that different from standard gravity, though you can jump twice as far (Movement) and thrown/projectile objects have a longer range (Range).

High Gravity

High gravity is anything significantly stronger than standard Earth gravity (1.2+ g). High gravity in Eclipse Phase is typically only found on exoplanets. High gravity is hard on morphs as they carry more weight, muscles get fatigued from pushing mass around, and the heart must work harder to pump blood. For every 0.2 g over 1 to which a character is not acclimated, treat it as if the character is suffering from the effects of 1 wound. At the GM’s discretion, movement rates may also be modified (Movement) and even synthmorph systems may become strained.

Weather

Weather phenomena are a recurring danger on various exoplanets, depending on local atmospheric conditions. Hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, blizzards, ice storms, acidic rain, and similar conditions can arise rapidly, damage gear, and hinder mobility, sensors, and communications. Mars still suffers from blinding and choking dust storms, blasting dust particles that somehow get into everything and jam it up. Venus and the gas giants all feature massive windstorms and cyclones that are devastating to flying craft and aerostats.