Fatigue measures tiredness and its incremental effects. It is used to track many different things, from strenuous activity to the debilitating effects of disease.

Fatigue Levels Table

Physical Effort

The primary way of accruing Fatigue is by engaging in some form of physical activity. The more arduous the exercise or work, the more quickly it tires the character. There are three classes of effort: Light, Medium and Strenuous. The length of time a character can engage in an activity without becoming fatigued is determined by his CON, as detailed under each category. Once this time has elapsed characters must make an appropriate skill roll – either Athletics, Brawn or Endurance – to resist gaining a level of Fatigue.
$\quad$ Unless the recipient of some form of magic that naturally extends wakefulness, all characters need sleep. A character can remain awake for a number of hours equal to twice CON before needing to make an Endurance roll. If successful, the character can continue to
function normally for a number of hours equal to half CON before needing to make a further Endurance roll, although this roll will be one grade harder than the last. Each failed roll accrues one level of fatigue.

Physical Effort Table

Effects of Fatigue

Every failed roll accrues a level of Fatigue. Each level of Fatigue carries penalties for skill use, movement, Initiative and Action Points. Asphyxiation, Blood Loss, and some types of magic also contribute to Fatigue accrual.
$\quad$ For most characters, activities of any kind become near impossible when the level of Incapacitated is reached. At this stage the character is still conscious but incapable of anything but the most desperate of activities.
$\quad$ Beyond Incapacitated, characters cannot act at all. The Fatigue levels – Semi-Conscious, Comatose and Dead – are generally reserved for measuring the most extreme effects of suffocation, disease, blood loss, starvation, exposure, and so forth.
$\quad$ It is perfectly possible to accrue Fatigue from several sources, potentially making some situations more dangerous.
$\quad$ For example, a thief climbs the flanks of an extinct volcano to reach a long-forgotten temple, in which fantastically precious jewels are reputed to be hidden. By the time he crests the crater rim his Fatigue level has reached Tired. Spurred on by sighting the ruins upon an island at the center of the flooded caldera, the thief foolishly undertakes the swim before resting; in the process losing several more levels of Fatigue from failed Swim rolls. When the scaly guardian of the sacred temple pulls him under the surface, the fatigue accrual from drowning starts from his current level of Exhausted, and he swiftly dies, lacking the energy to put up much of a fight.

Recovering from Fatigue

Characters recover from Fatigue depending on their Healing Rate. The amount of complete rest needed to recover from each level of accrued Fatigue is equal to the Recovery Period divided by the character’s Healing Rate.
$\quad$ Note that the table represents fatigue recovery for physical exertion. Fatigue recovery can be much faster when recovering from asphyxiation or slower if recuperating from blood loss.

Managing Fatigue

Managing Fatigue, and its effects makes for additional book-keeping. To simplify things, Games Masters can decide that only certain types of activity contribute towards Fatigue. But common sense should apply. A character dressed in full armor, in a tropical jungle, on a hot summer’s day, could not spend three hours hacking his way through the foliage without suffering fatigue in some way. Similarly carrying heavy loads, trekking uphill, foot chases, long swims or digging out an ancient necropolis are all going to take their toll on a character, potentially tiring him at a crucial moment.