Radiation Hazards

Cosmic Rays: A constant hazard for space travelers. Inflict 1
rad/week. Only massive shielding protects people.
Fallout: Small radioactive particles, such as those produced by a
ground-burst nuclear bomb. Inflicts 2-5 rads/minute within a few hours
of the blast, and several rads/hour over the next day. If you breathe or
swallow fallout (in contaminated food or water), the ingested material
delivers a continuing dose (see below).
Fission Plant Accident: 1,000 rads/hour or more! This is only in close
proximity (e.g., the reactor room); divide dose by the square of the dis-
tance in yards from the source.
Ingested Radioactive Material: Plutonium, radium-226, uranium-
235, etc. Even tiny doses can cause 1 rad/day to several rads/minute,
depending on the isotope. (Some radioactive materials, such as pluto-
nium, are also extremely toxic!)
Innate Attack: An attack with the Radiation damage modifier
(p. 105) delivers one rad per point of damage rolled.
Nuclear Blast: One-megaton fission air or space burst at 2,000 yards:
6,600 rads!