Catalog Conditions
AX.GAT.08.02 - Catalog Conditions
The core rules (AX.C.11) define the standard condition set for AxiomRPG. This file defines conditions specific to Astraeus Terminal and the Ki Nebula, environmental and hazard conditions that arise from the setting's physical and operational context.
Standard conditions (Hindered, Distracted, Stunned, Incapacitated, etc.) function as written in AX.C.11. The catalog conditions defined here layer on top of the standard set, a character can be simultaneously Vacuum Distressed and Hindered, for example, and follow the same resolution logic: conditions are cleared by specific in-fiction actions, rest, equipment, or the passage of time as defined in each entry.
EVA combat rules, three-dimensional movement, tether mechanics, and suit damage as a combat subsystem, are deferred to a future supplement. This file establishes the environmental conditions that provide the foundation for those rules when they are written.
Environmental Conditions
Vacuum Exposure
Exposure to hard vacuum without appropriate protection is a condition track with three stages, measured in Turns. Characters progress through the stages as Turns pass without protection. Appropriate protection halts progression at the current stage; restoration to a pressurized environment halts progression and begins recovery.
Suit Breach: A breach in a vacuum suit, from damage, equipment failure, or deliberate action, initiates Exposed regardless of the character's current stage. A breached suit provides no further protection; the character advances through stages normally until the breach is sealed or they reach a pressurized environment.
Recovery: Each stage clears one step per scene spent in a pressurized environment with medical support, or two steps per Short Rest in a pressurized environment. A character who reaches Incapacitated from Critical vacuum exposure requires medical attention in addition to pressurization before recovering.
Stage 1, Exposed
The character is in vacuum without protection. The immediate physical effects are manageable for a brief period: the body can sustain function against vacuum for a short time before damage accumulates.
- No immediate mechanical effect
- The clock is running
| Lineage | Turns in Exposed before progressing |
|---|---|
| Standard (all lineages) | 1 Turn |
| Gorrathi (Environmental Tolerance) | 3 Turns |
Stage 2, Distressed
Vacuum is taking a physical toll. Consciousness and physical function are degrading.
- Disadvantage on all rolls
- 2 damage per Turn at the start of each Turn while Distressed
- Duration: begins at Turn 2 (standard) or Turn 4 (Gorrathi); continues until protected or progresses to Critical
Stage 3, Critical
The character's physical systems are failing. Each Turn without protection may be the last.
- 5 damage per Turn at the start of each Turn while Critical
- Body Save (Threshold 3) at the start of each Turn, failure applies the Incapacitated condition in addition to damage
- Duration: begins at Turn 4 (standard) or Turn 7 (Gorrathi); continues until protected or character is incapacitated
Vacuum Exposure Quick Reference
| Stage | Trigger (Standard) | Trigger (Gorrathi) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposed | Turn 1 | Turns 1–3 | No effect; clock running |
| Distressed | Turn 2+ | Turn 4+ | Disadvantage all rolls; 2 damage/Turn |
| Critical | Turn 4+ | Turn 7+ | 5 damage/Turn; Body Save Th3 or Incapacitated |
Zero-G Disoriented
Characters operating in zero-gravity without appropriate training or equipment find that the absence of a consistent orientation reference disrupts physical coordination and directed movement. Zero-G Disoriented applies when a character enters a zero-gravity environment without the equipment or training that suppresses it.
Applying Zero-G Disoriented: - Entering zero-g without magnetic boots, thruster pack, or the Void Readiness perk (AX.GAT.08.01) applies Zero-G Disoriented immediately - Characters with magnetic boots are not Disoriented for movement but still apply Disadvantage to Body-based physical rolls that require leverage or stable footing - Characters with a full thruster pack are not Disoriented
Effects while Zero-G Disoriented: - Disadvantage on all physical rolls (Body and Speed) - Directed movement requires a Speed + Acrobatics roll (Threshold 2); failure results in uncontrolled drift, the character moves in an unintended direction determined by the GM - Ranged attacks made while drifting uncontrolled apply Disadvantage in addition to any existing penalty
Removing Zero-G Disoriented: - Equipping magnetic boots removes the movement component (directed movement no longer requires a roll) but not the Body-based Disadvantage - Equipping a thruster pack removes the condition entirely - Scene Adaptation: After spending one full scene operating in zero-g, the character may attempt a Speed + Acrobatics roll (Threshold 2) once per scene as a free action. On success, Zero-G Disoriented is suppressed for that scene. The character is adapting; the condition returns at the start of the next zero-g scene until full adaptation is achieved. - Full Adaptation: After extended zero-g exposure, defined as three or more sessions in which the character regularly operates in zero-g environments, the character no longer automatically gains Zero-G Disoriented. They have adapted. This adaptation is lost if the character spends a significant period (GM discretion, typically several sessions) without zero-g exposure.
Drift-Touched and Void Attunement practitioners treat zero-g as a familiar environment; they do not apply Zero-G Disoriented regardless of equipment, reflecting their nebula-origin relationship to space. Gorrathi do not gain Zero-G Disoriented; their lineage biology adapted to extreme environments includes zero-g orientation.
Reduced-G
The Hangar Ring and Cargo Ring of Astraeus Terminal operate at reduced gravity rather than zero-g, enough gravitational pull for standard movement but insufficient to make heavy physical effort feel normal. Reduced-G is a lighter environmental effect than Zero-G and does not apply the Disoriented condition.
Effects in Reduced-G areas: - Body-based rolls that require leverage, stability, or sustained physical output are made at Disadvantage (lifting, climbing, grappling, melee attacks that rely on body weight) - Speed and Wit rolls are unaffected - Movement is normal, no roll required for directed movement
Adjustment: Characters who spend a full session regularly operating in the reduced-g rings do not apply the Body Disadvantage for the remainder of that session and subsequent sessions until they leave the station. The body adjusts quickly to reduced-g in ways it does not adjust to zero-g.
Hazard Conditions
Radiation Exposure
The Ki Nebula and the STX-97H system contain radiation sources that accumulate during extended exposure. Radiation Exposure applies during prolonged operations in high-radiation zones; brief transits typically do not require tracking. The GM determines when a scene's radiation level is sufficient to apply the condition.
Radiation Tiers:
Low Exposure, Extended operations in moderately elevated radiation (several hours in a standard Ki Nebula corridor, STX-97H Zone 2 without shielding) - 1 damage per scene while in the radiation zone - Clears at the start of the next session if the character spends the intervening time away from elevated radiation
High Exposure, Acute exposure to concentrated radiation sources (Zone 4 debris field, direct proximity to a stellar formation, a breached reactor) - 3 damage per Turn while in the high-exposure zone - Wit Save (Threshold 2) per scene of High Exposure or gain the Distracted condition (sensory disruption from exposure effects) - Does not clear automatically; requires medical treatment and time away from radiation sources
Lineage interactions: - Gorrathi (Environmental Tolerance), Radiation damage is halved (round down) at both tiers - Synthari (Integrated Architecture), Radiation damage applies normally to Synthari; their biological immunity does not extend to radiation, which interacts with their constructed systems as an electrical/energetic hazard rather than a biological one
Shielding: Vacuum suits rated for radiation environments (see AX.GAT.09.02) prevent Low Exposure damage entirely and reduce High Exposure damage by half. Standard vacuum suits provide no radiation protection.
EM Surge
The Ki Nebula's electromagnetic density produces periodic surges, sudden spikes in local EM activity that affect electronic systems, certain traditions, and lineages with electromagnetic sensitivity. EM Surges are events, not ongoing conditions: they arrive, last for a scene or a defined duration, and then pass.
Mechanical effects during an EM Surge:
Electronic systems: All standard electronic equipment operates at Disadvantage during an EM Surge. This includes scanners, communication systems, ship instruments, and any equipment that depends on electronic components. Mechanical or purely optical systems are unaffected.
Cybernetic Integration: Characters using CI tradition applications during an EM Surge apply Disadvantage to all CI rolls regardless of Flux state, the surge creates interference in the practitioner's integrated architecture. This stacks with Overloaded if the character is already in that Flux state.
Arc Theory: Characters using Arc Theory during an EM Surge may treat their tradition as Clear (regardless of actual Flux state) for one application, the surge provides additional charge that a skilled practitioner can channel. This benefit applies once per surge; subsequent Arc Theory uses during the surge apply normal Flux rules.
Meridian lineage: Meridian characters experience EM Surges as acute sensory overload; they gain the Distracted condition (−1D to all Wit rolls) for the duration of the surge unless they succeed on a Wit + Resolve roll (Threshold 2) at the surge's onset.
Void Attunement: Surges do not affect Void Attunement directly but may make the Hazard Read application's output more urgent, the tradition registers the surge's character before instruments do.
Flux Overloaded
Flux Overloaded is defined in AX.GAT.08.00 (Power System Overview) and applies to all four traditions. It is listed here for completeness and cross-reference.
Flux Overloaded: All tradition rolls made after the first use per scene are Overloaded, only a result of 6 counts as a success (Disadvantage). Clears via Short Rest or Primary Action + Governing Attribute + Resolve vs. Threshold 3.
Tradition-specific Backlash conditions triggered by Overloaded rolls are defined in each tradition file (AX.GAT.08.03–08.06). They are not reproduced here.
Tradition Backlash Conditions
Each tradition defines its own Backlash condition effects. The following catalog conditions appear in Backlash tables and are defined here for reference:
Spatial Static, The character's navigational sense becomes unreliable; cannot use Void Attunement navigation advantage bonus dice until after a Short Rest. (Void Attunement Minor Backlash)
Void Flood, Uncontrolled attunement opening; applies Disoriented condition (all navigation and spatial rolls at Disadvantage) for the remainder of the scene; cannot use Void Attunement until after a Short Rest. (Void Attunement Moderate Backlash)
Thermal Spike, An augmented system overheats; one augmentation loses its Enhancement bonus until repaired or next scene. (Cybernetic Integration Minor Backlash)
System Cascade, Multiple augmented systems spike simultaneously; applies Hindered condition (−2D to all physical actions) for remainder of scene; all active Enhancement applications end. (Cybernetic Integration Moderate Backlash)
Full Backlash tables, including Severe effects and all tradition-specific outcomes, are in the individual tradition files.
Quick Reference: Catalog Conditions
| Condition | Source | Key Effect | Cleared By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Exposed | Unprotected in vacuum, Turn 1 (3 for Gorrathi) | No effect; clock running | Pressurization or protection |
| Vacuum Distressed | Exposed Turn 2+ (4+ Gorrathi) | Disadvantage all; 2 damage/Turn | Pressurization + recovery |
| Vacuum Critical | Exposed Turn 4+ (7+ Gorrathi) | 5 damage/Turn; Body Save Th3 or Incapacitated | Pressurization + medical |
| Zero-G Disoriented | Zero-g without training/equipment | Disadvantage physical; movement requires Speed + Acrobatics Th2 | Thruster pack (full); scene adaptation (partial); full adaptation (extended) |
| Reduced-G | Hangar/Cargo Ring operations | Body rolls at Disadvantage | Session adjustment |
| Radiation (Low) | Extended Ki Nebula / STX-97H operations | 1 damage/scene | Time away from source |
| Radiation (High) | Acute radiation exposure | 3 damage/Turn; Wit Save Th2 or Distracted | Medical treatment + time |
| EM Surge | Ki Nebula EM event | Electronics/CI at Disadvantage; Arc Theory gets one Clear use; Meridian Distracted | Surge ends (scene duration) |
| Flux Overloaded | Second+ tradition use per scene | Tradition rolls at Disadvantage | Short Rest or Governing Attr + Resolve Th3 |
| Spatial Static | Void Attunement Minor Backlash | No VA navigation bonus | Short Rest |
| Void Flood | Void Attunement Moderate Backlash | Navigation rolls Disadvantage; no VA | Short Rest |
| Thermal Spike | CI Minor Backlash | One augmentation loses Enhancement | Repair or next scene |
| System Cascade | CI Moderate Backlash | Hindered; all Enhancements end | Scene end |