This section describes the different adverse conditions that can affect characters. If multiple conditions apply to a character, apply all of their effects. If effects conflict, apply the most severe.

Ability Damaged: The character has temporarily lost 1 or more ability score points. Lost ability score points return at a rate of 1 per day.

Ability Drained: The character has permanently lost 1 or more ability score points. Points lost to ability drain do not recover.

Blinded: The character cannot see at all, and thus everything has total visual concealment from him. He has a 50% chance to miss in combat, loses his dodge bonus to Defense, and suffers an additional –2 modifier to Defense. He moves at half speed and suffers a –4 penalty on most Strength and Dexterity-based skill checks. He cannot make Notice (spot) skill checks or perform any other activity (such as reading) requiring vision.

Bloodied: When a creature reaches half it’s hit points (rounded up), it is considered bloodied.

Bruised: The character has suffered some minor damage. Each bruised condition imposes a –1 penalty on Toughness saves to resist further non-lethal damage.

Dazed: A dazed character can take no actions, but retains dodge bonus to Defense.

Dead: The character is dead. A dead body generally starts to decay, but effects allowing a character to come back from death restore the body to full health or to its condition immediately prior to death. Either way, characters that have come back from the dead needn’t worry about rigor mortis, decomposition, and other similar sorts of unpleasantness.

Deafened: A deafened character cannot hear and suffers a –4 penalty to initiative checks. He cannot make Notice (listen) checks.

Debilitated: The character has one or more ability scores lowered below –5. A character with debilitated Strength falls prone and is helpless. A character with debilitated Dexterity is paralyzed. A character with debilitated Constitution is dying. A character with debilitated Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is unconscious.

Disabled: A disabled character is conscious and able to act, but is badly injured. He can take only a single attack or move action each round, and if he performs any strenuous action, his condition changes to dying after the completing the action. Strenuous actions include moving all out, attacking, or using any ability requiring physical exertion or mental concentration.

Dying: A dying character is unconscious and near death. Upon gaining this condition, the character must immediately make a Constitution check (Difficulty 10) at the beginning of each round. On a failed check, the character dies. On a successful check, the character lives for another round (and must make a check the following round). If the check succeeds by 10 or more (Difficulty 20), the character’s condition becomes disabled and unconscious.

Entangled: An entangled character suffers a –2 penalty to effective Dexterity. If the bonds are anchored to an immobile object, the entangled character cannot move. Otherwise, he can move at half speed, but can’t move all out or charge. An already entangled character that is entangled again becomes helpless.

Exhausted: Exhausted characters are near collapse. They move at half normal speed and suffer a –3 penalty to effective Strength and Dexterity. An exhausted character suffering another fatigue result falls unconscious (and must recover from it normally).

Fascinated: A fascinated character has been entranced by an effect. They stand or sit, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. The character takes a –4 penalty on checks made as reactions, such as Notice checks. Any potential threat allows the fascinated character a new saving throw or resistance check to overcome the fascination. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon or aiming an attack at the fascinated character, automatically breaks the fascination. An ally can shake a fascinated character free of the effect with an aid action.

Fatigued: Fatigued characters cannot move all out or charge and suffer a –2 penalty to effective Strength and Dexterity. A fatigued character who does something else that would normally cause fatigue becomes exhausted.

Flat-Footed: A character who has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, not yet reacting to the situation. A flat-footed character loses his dodge bonus to Defense.

Frightened: A frightened character tries to flee from the source of the fear as quickly as possible. If unable to flee, the character is shaken.

Grappled: A grappled character is engaged in wrestling or some other form of hand-to-hand struggle with one or more attackers. They cannot move or take any action more complicated than making a barehanded attack, using a small weapon, or attempting to break free from the grapple. In addition, grappled characters lose any dodge bonus against opponents they aren’t grappling.

Helpless: Sleeping, bound, paralyzed or unconscious characters are helpless. Enemies can make advantageous attacks against helpless characters, or even deliver a coup de grace. A melee attack against a helpless character is at a +4 bonus on the attack roll (equivalent to attacking a prone target). A ranged attack gets no special bonus. A helpless character’s Defense score is 5, the same as an inanimate object.

Hurt: The character has suffered minor damage. Each injured condition imposes a –1 penalty on Toughness saves to resist further lethal damage.

Incorporeal: An incorporeal character has no physical body. Incorporeal characters are immune to attacks from corporeal sources. They can be harmed only by other incorporeal beings or supernatural attacks.

Invisible: An invisible character is virtually undetectable. Invisible characters gain a +2 bonus to hit defenders unaware of them, and such defenders lose their dodge bonus to Defense. Attacks against invisible characters have a 50% miss chance.

Nauseated: Nauseated characters can only take a single move action each round, meaning they are unable to attack (or take other standard actions) or move all out (or take other full-round actions).

Normal: The character is unharmed and unaffected by other conditions, acting normally.

Panicked: A panicked character flees as fast as possible or cowers, dazed, if unable to get away. A panicked character defends normally but cannot attack.

Paralyzed: A paralyzed character stands rigid and helpless, unable to move or actphysically. Strength and Dexterity are debilitated, but the character may take purely mental actions. A paralyzed character’s Defense score is 5, the same as an inanimate object.

Pinned: A pinned character is held immobile (but not helpless) in a grapple. Pinned characters lose their dodge bonus and suffer a –4 penalty to Defense.

Prone: The character is lying on the ground. He suffers a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls. Opponents receive a +4 bonus on melee attacks against him but a –4 penalty on ranged attacks. Standing up is a move action.

Shaken: A shaken character has a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and checks.

Sickened: A sickened character has a –2 penalty on attack rolls and checks.

Slowed: A slowed character can only take a standard or move action each round (not both). The character takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls, Defense, and Reflex saves. A slowed character moves at half normal speed. A slowed character can move at full speed and attack only by charging (see Charge in this chapter).

Stable: A stable character is no longer dying, but is still unconscious and disabled and must recover from those conditions normally.

Staggered: A staggered character can take a single move or standard action each round, not both. Any further damage to a staggered character shifts the character’s condition to unconscious.

Stunned: The character loses any dodge bonus to Defense, takes a –2 modifier to Defense, and cannot take actions other than reactions.

Unconscious: An unconscious character has been knocked out and is helpless.

Winded: A winded character suffers a –1 penalty to effective Strength and Dexterity and cannot move all out or charge. A winded character suffering an additional fatigue result becomes fatigued.

Wounded: The character has suffered damage. Each wounded condition imposes a –1 penalty on Toughness saves to resist further damage.

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