When characters are pushed beyond their limits—through hunger, thirst, forced travel, cold, strain, fear, wounds, or lack of sleep—the Referee may call for an Exhaustion Check.
Exhaustion is not a wound. It is the body and spirit wearing down.
Use Exhaustion when hardship becomes meaningful, not for every inconvenience.
When a character suffers serious hardship, roll a CON Check against TN 10.
On a success, the character endures the hardship and suffers no Exhaustion.
On a failure, the character suffers Exhaustion.
Before rolling, the character may spend Stamina to resist. For each Stamina spent, add +1 to the roll. The player must declare how much Stamina they spend before rolling.
When a character suffers Exhaustion, apply the following effect:
Condition | Effect |
|---|---|
Not Drained | The character becomes Drained. |
Already Drained | The character’s CON die drops one step. |
CON die already d6 | The character dies. |
CON die steps down in this order:
d12 → d10 → d8 → d6
A character whose CON die is reduced by Exhaustion is worn down, weakened, and near collapse. The Referee may also apply fitting fictional limits, such as moving slowly, struggling to carry gear, shaking from cold, or being unable to continue without aid.
Your strength, breath, or will is spent.
When you become Drained, lose half your current Stamina, rounded down, minimum 1.
While Drained, you cannot recover Stamina above half your maximum Stamina.
Drained ends when the source of the hardship is removed and the character receives proper aid, such as:
rest
food and water
warmth and shelter
remedy
herbs
magic
prayer
treatment
A character cannot remove Drained if they still lack food, water, warmth, shelter, or safety appropriate to the situation.
A Long Rest restores one lost CON die step.
A Respite restores two lost CON die steps.
A character cannot recover lost CON die steps if the source of the hardship remains. Food, water, warmth, shelter, safety, treatment, or other fitting aid may be required before recovery is possible.
When the character’s CON die is fully restored and the source of hardship is removed, Drained also ends.
The Referee may call for an Exhaustion Check when hardship becomes meaningful.
Cause | Examples |
Lack of Rest | Missed sleep, interrupted rest, marching through the night |
Hunger or Thirst | No food, no water, spoiled supplies |
Forced Travel | Long marches, overland pursuit, fleeing danger |
Heavy Burden | Carrying too much gear, hauling treasure, dragging the wounded |
Exposure | Cold, rain, snow, heat, wet clothing, no shelter |
Harsh Terrain | Mountains, swamps, deserts, deep snow, rough seas |
Physical Strain | Climbing, swimming, digging, rowing, sudden overexertion |
Shock | Blood loss, terror, magical strain, surviving great trauma |
Magical Strain | Curses, failed rites, channeling too much power, supernatural dread |