Temporary Attribute Penalties

Shock, afflictions, and many other things can temporarily lower your
attributes. ST reductions affect the damage you inflict with muscle-
powered weapons. IQ penalties apply equally to Will and Per. However,
there are no other effects on secondary characteristics; for instance, ST,
DX, and HT reductions do not affect HP, Basic Speed, Basic Move, or
FP.
An attribute penalty always reduces skills governed by the lowered
attribute by a like amount. For example, -2 to IQ would give -2 to all IQ-
based skills (and to all Per- and Will-based skills, since IQ reductions
lower Per and Will).
Exception: Defensive reactions that don’t require a maneuver to per-
form – active defenses, resistance rolls, Fright Checks, etc. – never suf-
fer penalties for attribute reductions. For instance, -2 to DX would not
affect Block, Dodge, or Parry.
Note that permanent attribute losses require recalculation of all sec-
ondary attributes and skills!
block, but you cannot attack with it.
Until healed, you have the One Hand
disadvantage (p. 147).
Arm: As for a crippled hand . . .
but while someone with a crippled
hand could at least carry something in
the crook of the arm, you cannot use a
crippled arm to carry anything! You
do not drop a shield on that arm
(unless the arm is severed), but
you cannot use it to block – and since
it’s just hanging in front of you, reduce
its usual Defense Bonus by one. Until
healed, you have the One Arm disad-
vantage (p. 147).
Foot: You fall down! You cannot
stand or walk without a crutch or
something to lean on. You can still
fight if you brace yourself against
a wall. If you have nothing to lean on,
you may assume a kneeling or sitting
posture. Until healed, you have
the Lame (Crippled Legs) disadvan-
tage (p. 141).
Leg: You fall down! You can still
fight if you assume a sitting or lying
posture. Until healed, you have the
Lame (Missing Legs) disadvantage
(p. 141).
Eye: You are blind in that eye. Until
healed, you have the One Eye (p. 147)
disadvantage – or Blindness (p. 124), if
you lose all your eyes – unless you
have some substitute for eyes.
Nonhuman Body Parts
Extra Arms: If you have three or more arms, a
crippled arm (hand) simply reduces the number
of arms (hands) you can use. You only suffer an
actual disadvantage if reduced to fewer than two
arms (hands).
Extra Head: If an extraneous head is crippled,
you lose the benefits of that Extra Head; see Extra
Enhanced Move).
don’t bother rolling!
Temporary Crippling: Until you are back at full
HP, you suffer the disadvantages described
under Effects of Crippling Injury, above. Once
you are fully healed, these effects disappear.
Lasting Crippling: You suffered a broken bone,
badly torn (or burned) muscle, or other lingering
damage. Roll 1d. This is the number of months it
will take for the injury to heal fully. (If the injury
is treated by a physician, subtract 3 from the roll
at medical TL7+, 2 at TL6, or 1 at TL5 – but the
period of healing is never less than one month.)
Permanent Crippling: You lose the use of that
body part. It is either nonfunctional or gone.
Either way, you acquire a new disadvantage (One
Head (p. 54).
Extra Legs: If you have three
or more legs, see Extra Legs
(p. 54) for the effects of a crip-
pled foot or leg.
Striker: You cannot use your
Striker to attack. If your Striker is
also a wing or a tail, see below for
additional effects.
Tail: Any advantages the tail
provides (e.g., Extra Arm or
Striker) no longer function. As
well, your balance is off: -1 DX,
except for close manual tasks. If
you’re a swimmer or winged
flyer, the DX penalty is -2 and
you are at half your usual water
or air Move (which will also
halve
your
top
speed
with
Wing: If you have Flight (Winged), you
cannot fly – and if you were airborne,
you fall. If your wing is also a Striker,
you cannot use it to attack.