Hey so I am looking for some input on how some of you would or have implemented radiation. such as how to allow players to detect it effects of it. I'm looking to implement it in a way where it isn't immediately obvious to the characters that radiation is a thing like with adding radiation spells or items for it as i want the to figure out through clues in the world that it is a thing causing problems. Any help?
D&D 5E Fun with radiation in games
- Thread starter Rekarp7
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Sunseeker
Guest
What sort of setting are we talking about here? Classic mid-fantasy D&D? Gritty low-fantasy? High-magic wuxia?
Because whichever way you do it, you're essentially adding hard science to a fantasy game of some level. The effects of high radiation are obvious on advanced life forms (bugs and fungus are surprisingly resilient!). If you were to subject your players to even a few minutes of high-level radiation, the result would almost certainly be a slow, agonizing death. Low level radiation is largely tolerable by most things. Again, bugs and fungus seem to do better under these circumstances, but giant bugs and giant mushrooms aren't exactly uncommon in D&D.
Personally, I'm a big fan of boiling all the "detect" spells into one big "Detect X" wherein players simply declare what it is they're trying to detect, and if it is within range, it is detected. So you could add a spell along those lines of "Detect Radiation", but they'd first need to understand what radiation is. That is, IMO, the harder part, since radiation is a fairly new and fairly scientific concept.
You might want to avoid adding a new energy type, and use necrotic energy for radiation. It serves most of the same functions as actual radiation and is more fitting with a fantasy setting than radiation.
You could run it like a disease or a poison, and thus cover it with the respective Detect and Remove spells. But I don't know if that gets you the same vibe.
But if players are exploring a highly radioactive area...the long and short of things is that if they have to experience things long enough to "figure it out" they're probably going to die.
Because whichever way you do it, you're essentially adding hard science to a fantasy game of some level. The effects of high radiation are obvious on advanced life forms (bugs and fungus are surprisingly resilient!). If you were to subject your players to even a few minutes of high-level radiation, the result would almost certainly be a slow, agonizing death. Low level radiation is largely tolerable by most things. Again, bugs and fungus seem to do better under these circumstances, but giant bugs and giant mushrooms aren't exactly uncommon in D&D.
Personally, I'm a big fan of boiling all the "detect" spells into one big "Detect X" wherein players simply declare what it is they're trying to detect, and if it is within range, it is detected. So you could add a spell along those lines of "Detect Radiation", but they'd first need to understand what radiation is. That is, IMO, the harder part, since radiation is a fairly new and fairly scientific concept.
You might want to avoid adding a new energy type, and use necrotic energy for radiation. It serves most of the same functions as actual radiation and is more fitting with a fantasy setting than radiation.
You could run it like a disease or a poison, and thus cover it with the respective Detect and Remove spells. But I don't know if that gets you the same vibe.
But if players are exploring a highly radioactive area...the long and short of things is that if they have to experience things long enough to "figure it out" they're probably going to die.
Zardnaar
Legend
It's hard to pull off. A very heavy dose of radiation will kill you in 10 or 11 days.
Perhaps have it deal 1 point of contact damage per day.
You do not regain the con point and there is no cure except magic probably spells like restoration or heal.
That level of exposure was some survivors of the Atomic Bombing in Japan and an American scientist in the 40s who was playing with plutonium and irradiated himself.
Some of the early responders at Cheronobyl went with no safety equipment. They knew they would die but someone had to do it. They died horribly about 6 weeks later. In D&D terms it's probably 1d3 points of con damage per week that can't be regained until magically cured.
That's the fastest examples of death by radiation IRL.
Perhaps have it deal 1 point of contact damage per day.
You do not regain the con point and there is no cure except magic probably spells like restoration or heal.
That level of exposure was some survivors of the Atomic Bombing in Japan and an American scientist in the 40s who was playing with plutonium and irradiated himself.
Some of the early responders at Cheronobyl went with no safety equipment. They knew they would die but someone had to do it. They died horribly about 6 weeks later. In D&D terms it's probably 1d3 points of con damage per week that can't be regained until magically cured.
That's the fastest examples of death by radiation IRL.
Satyrn
First Post
I'd think mutants could be used as clues. And a mysterious disease (actually radiation poisoning) makes sense.
I think I'd step away from science a little, too, and make the radiation sources also radiate a noticeable heat.
Also, I've seen a treatment of radiation in D&D where radiation interferes with magic - like an irradiated wizard has a hard time casting a spell, or an irradiated target has something like 3e's magic resistance.
So, like someone suffering from radiation poisoning might have a 50% chance of not being affected by a cure wounds or lesser restoration. This would have some benefit, too, though, as they'd have the same chance of not being damaged by a shocking grasp or fireball.
And doing it this way, I'd draw on a more 1930s understanding of radiation - Isaac Asimov, for example, had people living on an irradiated Earth. Impossible of course, but perfect for fantasy and Scifi.
I think I'd step away from science a little, too, and make the radiation sources also radiate a noticeable heat.
Also, I've seen a treatment of radiation in D&D where radiation interferes with magic - like an irradiated wizard has a hard time casting a spell, or an irradiated target has something like 3e's magic resistance.
So, like someone suffering from radiation poisoning might have a 50% chance of not being affected by a cure wounds or lesser restoration. This would have some benefit, too, though, as they'd have the same chance of not being damaged by a shocking grasp or fireball.
And doing it this way, I'd draw on a more 1930s understanding of radiation - Isaac Asimov, for example, had people living on an irradiated Earth. Impossible of course, but perfect for fantasy and Scifi.
So the setting I am using is pretty high fantasy as there is a giant super dungeon tower of which they will be exploring i have the bricks they are using to pave the streets with moderately radioactive bricks just enough that sleeping on the streets for a while will cause issues but the walls of most of the houses are using a lead based paint on top of hard stone so that those who live in these house aren't as effected by it. so I wasn't planning to make it so much as a harming effect on the players unless they consistently sleep outside for a couple weeks. so the main things that would be showing off that something is off would be the sores tumours and cancers on the homeless. I'm hoping to use this to give the city which is filthy rich some visible signs of how the beauty and the luxury is only surface level and how the city itself is cancered and sick kind of like a Las Vegas feel with how like yeah its beautiful but if you look beneath the hood it isn't healthy place you want to live or be for an extended amount of time.
Shadowdweller00
Hero
In the not so distant past, I used a demon lord who styled itself "Lord of the Invisible Flame" and had a bunch of powers and minions based around the concept of using radiation as a weapon. I essentially treated radiation as a slow-acting poison that dealt necrotic damage and decreased max hp. Certain areas and items were considered radioactive; certain spells and monster abilities could cause the same effects. Spells like Detect Poison and Disease could detect it...but frequently too late if used as a ritual. Protection from Poison could stop further damage, but the victim still needed to slowly rest (or restore) off the max hp loss. The trick was realizing that one had been irradiated before actual damage set in...since there were no immediately apparent signs.
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Storyteller Hero
Adventurer
Mutants!
MechaTarrasque
Hero
I would look at the sickening radiance spell in XGtE. I think that is supposed to be "radiation damage" in 5e (radiation equals radiant, makes you wonder about all those clerics and angels).
Gardens & Goblins
First Post
We have a realm/planet where the surface dwellers suffer under the effects of light but persistent radiation poisoning.
The setting is a mish-mash of vikings, snow & ice, ancient forests, big beasts and the like. The members of the viking-esque dominant civilization have been psychologically effected by the radiation, causing them to suffer from general fatigue, amnesia, and a lack of concentration. Coupled with the stresses of day to day survival, made harder due to the local wild life attacking more often and aggressively (they're similarly effected by the radiation) and the poor yields from farmed crops (again, due to the radiation) has made everyone kinda cranky - more likely to knife their fellow man/woman/tree, more likely to flip out and do something reckless and bloody.
The end result is a people gripped by paranoia and hunger, wracked by stress and fatigue. They're not 'EVIL' captical E but they're certainly not nice. At least, I found it an interesting way to create an 'evil' empire in a relatively realistic way - people driven to their worst by circumstance.
So yeaah, that's one way radiation can play a role.
(As for player characters? They live below ground in the cave networks, safe from the radiation. Bascally, they're the Underdark denizens who travel to the surface to find their fortune.)
The setting is a mish-mash of vikings, snow & ice, ancient forests, big beasts and the like. The members of the viking-esque dominant civilization have been psychologically effected by the radiation, causing them to suffer from general fatigue, amnesia, and a lack of concentration. Coupled with the stresses of day to day survival, made harder due to the local wild life attacking more often and aggressively (they're similarly effected by the radiation) and the poor yields from farmed crops (again, due to the radiation) has made everyone kinda cranky - more likely to knife their fellow man/woman/tree, more likely to flip out and do something reckless and bloody.
The end result is a people gripped by paranoia and hunger, wracked by stress and fatigue. They're not 'EVIL' captical E but they're certainly not nice. At least, I found it an interesting way to create an 'evil' empire in a relatively realistic way - people driven to their worst by circumstance.
So yeaah, that's one way radiation can play a role.
(As for player characters? They live below ground in the cave networks, safe from the radiation. Bascally, they're the Underdark denizens who travel to the surface to find their fortune.)
