Radiation (5e Fallout Campaign Setting)

Radiation

Radiation damage (often referred to as rads) is a common danger in the wasteland. It makes victims more susceptible to infection, disease and nausea. It also inflicts general weakness. It is represented here by reducing your max hp.

Rad Dice Pool

When you gain a level, roll a number of rad dice equal to half your Constitution score rounded up. The result of these rolls become your rad pool maximum. You may reroll your rad pool maximum at the end of a long rest. This does not reset the amount of rads you already have, and your rad pool cannot shrink in this way. When you gain rads, it subtracts from your rad pool. If you gain rads when your rad pool is 0, it decreases your maximum hit points instead. Your rad dice is determined as follows:

At levels 1-4, your rad dice are d4's.

At levels 5-9, your rad dice are d6's.

At levels 10-14, your rad dice are d8's.

At levels 15-19, your rad dice are d12's.

At level 20, your rad dice are d20's.

Becoming Irradiated

You can gain radiation in various ways. If radiation is gained from the environment, such as standing near a destroyed nuclear-powered truck, you gain rads at the end of every other turn. The following lists how many rads one gains from certain types of radiation, as well as examples.

• Light Radiation: 1d4+2 rads. Includes eating irradiated food or standing 20 feet from a radioactive waste barrel.
• Medium Radiation: 1d8+2 rads. Includes drinking a Nuka-Cola Quantum and standing 30 feet from an active generator or destroyed vehicle.
• Heavy Radiation: 1d12+3. Includes standing inside a radioactive waste barrel or being within 120 feet of a radioactive disposal site.
• Extreme Radiation: 1d20+5 Includes standing within 500ft from the crater of a nuclear warhead or leaking power plant.

Once you come into contact with one of the examples of radiation make a Con save of 10 for light, 13 for medium, 16 for heavy and 20 for extreme. On a successful save you take only half the rads. (optional) In the case of a nat 1 you take x2 the rads. In the case of a nat 20 you take no rads.

Removing Radiation

Radiation can only be effectively removed by certain medical supplies. Removing rads while your hit point maximum is not decreased instead increases your rad pool. Removing rads while you are at your rad pool maximum does nothing.

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