| Notes |
***Hitpoints*** = SIZ.
swarm of SIZ 6 is enough to engulf one half of the body. A swarm of 12 is enough to engulf the entire body. A swarm of SIZ 24 could engulf two opponents simultaneously. The potency of the attack is based on SIZ, as follows:
Siz ~ Damage ~ Combat actions
1-5 ~ 1 ~ 1
6-11 ~ 1d2 ~ 2
12-18 ~ 1d3 ~ 3
The damage from stings and bites are applied simultaneously to every location covered by the swarm. Worn armour initially counts against this damage, but is reduced by 1 point for each successful attack, as the insects begin to crawl inside gaps in the clothing. For example, a victim wearing brigandine armour who stumbles into a swarm of SIZ 6, will be immune to the swarm’s first three attacks but eventually the insects will find a way in. Normal clothing provides no protection, unless especially thick – for example winter wear.
Swarms do not generate Special Effects, and neither do they use Combat Actions to parry or evade unless attacked with an area affect assault. On the other hand a victim can use Evade to temporarily avoid a swarm. Otherwise they must flee, hide or seek cover. Swarms fly at a base Movement Rate of 4, but can augment this rate by using their Athletics skill.
However the anti-coagulant pumped into a host can have an annoying effect. The victim must make an Endurance roll, vs 80 potency, 1D6+1 minutes after a successful attack. If the roll fails the anti-coagulant causes the bites to swell, itch and ache, making it difficult to focus and reducing all skill rolls by 1 level. wears of in 1d4 hours.
Malaria
Spread by mosquitoes, which flourish during warm months, the symptoms of malaria include fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, anaemia and convulsions, which reoccur on a diurnal cyclic basis. The milder form of malaria is chronic and the infection remains for many years.
Application: Injected (mosquito bite)
Potency: 65
Resistance: Endurance
Onset time: 1d8+6 days
Duration: 2 weeks or more
Conditions: Fever with possible Unconsciousness and Death. Failing the opposed Endurance roll indicates that the character is infected with a milder strain of malaria, which causes a succession of feverish paroxysms every 3 days, each bout of fever lasting about 6 hours. During this time the character treats all skills as Hard. This continues until the third week, when the character can make another opposed roll each week to see if the disease goes into remission.
Fumbling the original Stamina roll means the character has instead contracted a deadlier form of malaria. This induces paroxysms every 2 days but each bout of fever renders the victim unconscious for 24-36 hours. In addition the character must make an unopposed Stamina roll with each attack. If failed the victim suffers dies.
Once infected with the milder form of malaria, characters must make a further Endurance roll each summer to see if they suffer a relapse. If so, then they suffer the same effects as their first bout of the disease. Yet, if they roll a critical success, then their body purges the infection and they no longer suffer from the disease. |
Encounter Generator
