🧪 Status Conditions
Adventuring in Six Sided Adventures is as much about surviving the environment as it is about defeating the monsters within it. Whether you are trekking through a radioactive wasteland, scaling a frozen peak, or navigating a magical swamp, the territory itself is a living character that can leave a lasting mark on your hero. Note: Status Conditions are handled by the DM
🏔️ The Peril of the Path
Dangerous territories aren't just backgrounds; they are mechanical hazards. Crossing a "Corrupted Forest" might require a Vigor check just to avoid the Exhausted condition before the first sword is even drawn. In this system, your status isn't just a health bar—it’s a reflection of your character's current capacity to interact with the world.
Environmental Triggers: A failed climb in a mountain pass might leave you Prone and Stunned as an avalanche begins.
The Cost of Exploration: Entering a "Burning" volcanic vent without the proper gear or a specific Ability means starting every encounter with a ticking clock of damage.
⚔️ Combat: A Dance of Debuffs
Battling dangerous foes is rarely a simple exchange of blows. The most fearsome enemies in your campaign won't just hit your Hits—they will attack your Stats.
Synergy and Strategy: An NPC might use their first action to leave you Dazzled, preventing you from Bartering for extra damage. Their second action might then be a heavy strike against your now-vulnerable defenses.
Narrative Consequences: Being Poisoned by a giant spider or Paralyzed by a high-tech stun-baton changes the stakes of the narrative. It forces the party to stop "bonking monsters" and start protecting their compromised ally.
💡 The Tactical Trade-off
Status conditions add a layer of "Bartering" to the fiction. If a player is Burning, they face a grim choice:
Spend the Action: Waste a turn to put out the fire and stay safe.
Take the Heat: Roll their attack anyway, hoping to end the fight before the end-of-turn damage drops them to zero.
Note to Players: A clever adventurer prepares for the territory as much as the foe. Packing an antidote for the Poisoned condition or a heavy cloak to prevent being Chilled is often the difference between a legendary hero and a cautionary tale.
🏁 Summary for the Guide
"In the wilds of a Six Sided Adventure, the world is your primary adversary. Dangerous territories and cunning foes work in tandem to inflict Status Conditions—mechanical burdens that shift the math of your dice pools. Whether it is the sickness of a magical plague or the sting of a laser-burn, these conditions turn every roll into a test of survival. Manage your conditions, support your allies, and remember: the environment never misses."
Examples:
| Condition | Narrative Effect | Mechanical Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Bleeding | A jagged wound that won't close. | Take 1 Hit at the start of your turn. Ends when either the duration ends or an action is taken to recover. |
| Dazzled | Blinded by a flashbang, sand, or holy light. | You cannot Barter (Raise the TN) until the end of your next turn. |
| Terrified | An overwhelming fear of a specific foe. | You must keep your lowest dice instead of your highest when targeting the source of your fear. |
| Exhausted | Physical or mental burnout. | Your Guile bonus is ignored. The TN is always the "raw" number set by the DM. |
| Corrupted | Dark magic or a digital virus. | Any time you roll a 6, it does not explode. |
📝 Refining Your Original Ideas
To keep them consistent with the nk2 style math, here is how we can word your original thoughts for the guide:
Burning: You are engulfed in flames. You must spend your Action to extinguish yourself, or suffer 1 Damage at the end of every round.
Poisoned: Your body is failing you. Roll half your Might (rounded down) and keep half your Wits (rounded down).
Example: A 4k2 roll becomes a 2k1 roll.
Stunned: Your senses are reeling. You lose your place in the initiative and must act last in the round, after all NPCs have finished.
Paralyzed: Your muscles are locked. You cannot take Actions or Reactions this round. You can only defend using your base DTN.
⚖️ The "DM's Call" on Duration
In a narrative game, tracking "3 rounds of poison" can be tedious. You might suggest in the guide that players can make a Vigor check at the end of their turn to shake off a condition naturally, or require a specific Ability (like "Purify" or "Antidote") to clear it instantly.
🏁 Guide Layout Tip
Since you already have the "Playing the Game" section, these conditions make a great "Side Bar" or a dedicated "Health & Hazards" page right after the combat rules.