Health and Stamina

Horizon can be a rough place, Stranger. Many dream of a peaceful life, but when sacrifices need to be made, far fewer could agree on who should make them. Ultimately, we all have the same needs. Everything they have is something you don't, and you can more easily take it than make it yourself. Or vice versa. To live and fight another day, you have to be cautious, without missing opportunities. You have to be smart, without drawing attention. You have to choose life, even when that means others may die. Here, we discuss the grim reality of life and death on Horizon.


Health

As in many roleplaying and video games, “Health” or “Hit Points” are the measure of how much physical punishment or “damage” a Character can receive before they meet their end. Unlike many other games however, Characters in Horizon have IRIS, the advanced system of nano-machines operating within their bodies at all times. Among its many other functions, IRIS can dramatically improve durability and even bring a character back from beyond conventional death in the right circumstances.

  • Every Character has Health, displayed as a number.
  • Attacks against that Character cause Damage, which reduces that number.
  • When Health reaches 0 or less, that Character almost dies -but not quite. Their actions are severly restricted until they return to positive Health. This state is called “Death Coma”.
  • When Health becomes fully negative, the Character suffers True Death and becomes permanently unplayable. For a Character with 50 maximum Health, -50 Health would be fully negative.
  • A Character's maximum Health can be increased by raising their Resolve (RES) Trait. See the Traits page for details.
  • All Characters regenerate a small amount of Health each day at midnight. The amount recovered can be increased by raising the Character's Resolve (RES) Trait. See the Traits page for details.
  • Several additional effects can recover lost Health, including Medical aid from the Biology Skill and this can be improved with Bio Kits, found in the Equipment section.



Death Coma

Death Coma is an artificially induced stasis, during which IRIS attempts to maintain the host's vital functions, to the exclusion of all else. In this state, IRIS can initiate accelerated regeneration using the body's Stamina reserves, speeding recovery from the Death Coma into normal consciousness. Additionally, IRIS has been known to force movement in the host's unconscious body to remove it from imminent danger, such as fire or drowning, though this puts massive strain on the host and cannot be sustained long. IRIS also lacks the sensory awareness to tell friend from foe if others are nearby, and will generally ignore other people or animals unless pain is detected, at which point minimum movement to a safe distance will be performed. It should be noted that, at the best of times this will be a painfully slow movement: do not run heedlessly into danger expecting to wake up safely in a nearby town.

  • Death Coma is initiated by a Character's IRIS when they have 0 or less Health.
  • Characters in Death Coma benefit from Accelerated Healing, but grow weaker as time passes. Once immediately after Death Coma begins and subsequently each day at midnight, make an Endurance test. Add the Score of the test to your Natural Healing and gain the total as Health. Lose 10 Stamina whenever this occurs.
  • Characters who have 0 Stamina or less when the Accelerated Healing test would normally be made do not heal. Each day at midnight they lose Health and Stamina. The Health lost is 10 - Resolve (RES). The Stamina lost is 10 - Instinct (INS)
  • A Character may also crawl or slowly swim away from imminent danger, as their IRIS attempts to preserve the host. If the Director deems movement possible, the Character may move up to their Agility (AGI) Trait in meters each round. They lose 1 Stamina for each meter traveled.
  • As you enter Death Coma, you may choose a Final Act. Any action you take is considered Embracing Corruption, but the specific form Corruption takes will reflect your choice of action as normal. Each round you continue to Embrace Corruption, Death Coma is delayed, you lose 10 Stamina and your Corruption increases until you either submit or go Feral. When you accept your fate, or if you don't wish to Embrace Corruption, take no further action and enter Death Coma as normal. For more details on Embracing Corruption, see the Corruption Page.



True Death

True Death is the final end of a Character. Having been pushed beyond even the IRIS' ability to preserve them, there is literally too little left of mind or body to salvage any continued existence. A Character that suffers True Death is well and truly gone and Horizon must turn to new figureheads with their hopes and fears. In dark places, it is whispered that Characters who spite the gods of Horizon have been known to suffer such a fate spontaneously and seemingly without explanation. If true, one can only wonder what sordid games are played beyond the 4th dimensional wall, that the sanctity of life itself becomes a mere plaything. A novelty to be discarded at one's momentary inconvenience. Best not to tempt fate, Stranger.

  • True Death occurs when a Character's Health is fully negative. For example, a Character with max 50 Health who reaches -50 Health.
  • Even if this happens just before some other effect comes into play that could have prevented it, the Character's Health cannot at any time be fully negative, or they will suffer True Death.
  • The Director may inflict True Death on any Character at any time, should they deem the Player's behavior sufficiently inappropriate, though having a good reason is very highly recommended.



Stamina

  • Characters have Stamina, displayed as a number.
  • When you activate Augs or make certain tests, such as during Death Coma, Stamina is spent to do so.
  • Stamina recovers by a small amount each day at midnight. This is called Natural Recovery.
  • Maximum Stamina and Natural Recovery can be improved by raising a Character's Instinct (INS) Trait.
  • When a Character has 0 or less Stamina, they suffer Blackout. During Blackout they have very limited actions, similar to Death Coma.
  • Once, immediately after Blackout begins and subsequently each day at midnight, the Character rolls an Endurance test and adds the score to their Naturaly Recovery, then gains the total as Stamina.
  • At any point during Blackout, including the moment it begins, your may choose a Final Act. (paste in rules for Final Act here)
  • If at any time you have 0 or less Health, your condition defaults to Death Coma and the rules for Blackout are ignored. See the Death Coma section for details.