TerlObar: Twilight 2000 (TW2K) is based on characteristics that range from 0 to 20 with an average of 10. So if we divide the multipliers by 5 you could then just multiply STA or maybe current STA to get the percent chance to resist the effect (of radiation).

Me: Well, here I’ve done the TerlObar conversion below.

Revised 4/28/2018

Types of Radiation

In terms of radiation in relation to character health, two forms of radiation can be considered: non-ionizing radiation (low-energy radiation) and ionizing radiation (high-energy radiation).

Examples of non-ionizing radiation include visible light, microwaves, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, infrared radiation, radio waves, radarwaves, chronocom signals and wireless computer connections. The main source ofn on-ionizing radiation that can affect health is UV-radiation. High levels of UV-radiation can cause sunburn and increase the risk of someone developing skin cancer.

Ionizing radiation is more likely to damage tissue than non-ionizing radiation. The main source of exposure to ionizing radiation occurs during medical exams when X-ray or computed tomography scans are made. However, the amounts of radiation used are so small that the risk of any damaging effects is minimal.

Even when radiotherapy is used to treat cancer, the quantityof ionizing radiation used is so carefully controlled that the risk of problems associated with exposure is tiny.[1]

Alpha Rays. Produced by fission and the decay of certain materials, the alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons; fast-moving, it is the equivalent of the nucleus of a Helium atom. It causes damage through electrostatic changes because it has a positive charge. Although it does not penetrate the outer layers of the skin, if inhaled it can damage the lungs.

Beta Rays. This type of radiation consists of free electrons that usually form a field around certain materials or high power lines. Much lighter than an alpha particle, beta rays can cause surface burns to skin tissue. It can travel a longer distance than an alpha particle before losing energy.

Gamma Rays. This is a photonic (light) radiation and includes ultraviolet (UV), X-ray and higher energy rays. The various energy levels cause varying degrees of burn damage and have variable penetrating power.  Fo rexample, UV has very low penetrating power and may produce surface burn damage to skin tissues, X-ray travels readily through tissues, yet N-16 gamma radiation is severely damaging to tissues but has very short (7.1 seconds) half-life.

Neutron Rays. Neutral particles, with no electrical charge, are very fast moving. They can damage issues because of a “billiard ball” type of action that occurs when it strikes hydrogen atoms – such as water – within tissues. It will break water molecules (H₂O) into OH- and H+. This causing various chemical and electrostatic changes at the lowest level of chemistry within the body. 

Nuclear fission produces large quantities of neutron radiation. Water shielding and lead shielding is often used to block neutron rays while halfnium (a shiny, silver ductile metal) readily absorbs free neutrons.

CosmicRays. Produced by supernovas (and possibly other interstellar sources) cosmic rays are high energy radiation composed of atom fragments such as protons, electrons and atomic nuclei. Majo rhabitable planets (Earth-like) generally have atmospheres and magnetic fields that shield the surface from any adverse effects of this radiation. In space around a star system, unshielded travelers may receive an exposure of 2.6milliSieverts per day. Fortunately, Frontier spaceships and space suits (also called vacc suits) provide enough protection where this threat to health is negligible.

In nature or a nuclear accident, rarely is radiation pure enough that it can be easily categorized into alpha, beta, gamma,or neutron rays. Often radiation is encountered in a mixed state – that is, alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation are all emitted to some degree.[2]

Handling Radiation Exposure

In an effort to create a workable set of rules for Star Frontiers for dealing with radiation exposure and radiation sickness, the game “Twilight 2000” by Game Designers Workshop (GDW) offers some inspiration. Radiation exposure in that game is measured in rads (radiation absorbed dose), which is means that 1 gram of material absorbed 100 ergs of energy.[1]

Some terms for measuring radiation include:

·        Rem (Roentgen equivalent man), is a unit of ionizing radiation equal to the amount that produces the same damage to humans as one roentgen of high-voltage x-rays. The name is derived from Wilhelm Roentgen who discovered ionizing radiation in1895 at about the same time that Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium. Although roughly equivalent to 1 rad, the rem takes into account the “quality factor” of the radiation because a 1 rad exposure to X-rays is less damaging than a 1 rad exposure to neutrons;

·        The Sievert (Sv), which is equivalent to 100 rem (100 rad). It is a measurement system that looks at the biological effects of radiation;

·        Gray(Gy), a unit of absorbed radiation that is equivalent to 100 rad.

·        And the Curie (Ci), which is a unit of radioactivity equal to one gram of pureradium-226.

The information above provides a simplified explanation and is not an exhaustive list. Other radiation measuring standards include the Becquerel and “Disintegrations per second,” which looks at the number of subatomic particle sreleased from the nucleus of a given atom over one second.

Using the rad is actually an “old school” way of measuring radiation, but for game purposes this will be the standard used on the Frontier. Twilight 2000’s rules for dealing with radiation note: Exposure to lower levels of radiation will produce temporary illness, while higher levels can kill. All exposure is cumulative.

When a character’s accumulated rads reach or surpass 50, he must be checked for radiation illness. Thereafter, each time the character accumulates one or more rads he must be checked for radiation illness. However, the characteris checked for radiation illness only once per day, on each day that he accumulates additional rads.

All Star Frontiers player character races are treated fairly equally when it comes to dealing with poisons, sickness, damage from weapons, etc. This rule is in effect for dealing with radiation exposure/illness, though the symptoms may vary according to each species’ biology.

Assume that most Frontier races only receive 300 millirems (each millirem is equal to1/1000th of a Rem) per year as normal background radiation. There are no detectable injuries or chance of illness from such exposures. Those working in and around radioactive sources – power plant workers, ship engineers, starship engine construction workers – should be exposed to no more than 5,000 millirems (5 rads) maximum per year. This is an accumulated exposure rate. Most Frontier workers would be wearing protective gear and should not reach this level.

Pirates, criminals, Sathar agents, more primitive races and the like probably do not show the same concern about radiation exposure to “expendable” slave laborers. Such workers will not receive the best – if any – protection from radiation exposure. If a player character were to become a prisoner in some pirate uranium mine, their only hope for long-term survival is a quick rescue or escape.

Radiation Exposure Chart. In addition to keeping track of a character’s Stamina (STA), players would need to record the amount of rads that their characters accumulate during a campaign.

The Radiation Exposure Chart provides the multipliers used to determine the chances of a character falling ill or the risks of death from an exposure to radiation. The referee uses the rad level on the chart that is closest to – but not exceeding – the character’s accumulated rad level. For example, a character with a rad level of 62 or even 74 would use the 50 Rads line while a character who has accumulated 802 rads would use the 800 Rads line. The dash (--) on the chart means that the effect does not apply at that rad level.

To use this chart, multiply the character’s current Stamina score by the multiplier to determine his percentage chance of avoiding the effect. Possible effects are checked for in the following order – death, serious illness and mild illness.

The referee rolls a d100; if the number is equal to or less than the percentage chance, the character avoids the effect. Otherwise, he is affected. A multiplier of zero (0) such as on the 800 rad line means that the character cannot avoid that effect, which in this case would definitely mean a seriousillness with a very high likelihood of death unless  the character can receive some form of advanced medical treatment.

The referee would check for radiation illness for any characters who are exposed to radiation, but does not inform the player of the result. Instead, the referee should tell the player what symptoms the character begins to exhibit as they occur.[2]

For example, Thallera is a Yazarian technician who is exploring an abandoned building. She is unaware that there is a leaking nuclear battery in a nearby storage room. She is exposed to a dosage of 289 rads of radiation during the encounter before she realizes the danger.

The referee would then check the 100 Rads line. Thallera has 40 Stamina points. There is no chance of death, but she has a 76 percent chance to avoid serious illness (40 STA x 1.9 = 76). The referee rolls a 49 and the character avoids that side effect, but then he has to go to the Mild Illness column. Here the character has a 60 percent chance to avoid mild radiation sickness.

This time, the referee rolls a 62 and will need to consult the  Mild Radiation Sickness Table to determine how ill Thallera will get. In some instances, there is still a chance of death.

Radiation Sickness

For game purposes, radiation poisoning is handled similarly to other poisons. For example, a radiation sickness result of S10/R20 would mean that the character suffers a 10 percent penalty (-10%) to all skill and ability checks for 20 days. The first number after the “S” indicates the intensity of the radiation and the ability/skill penalty the character suffers. The “R” followed by the number represents the duration of the radiation sickness in days. If the formula is followed by an asterisk (“*”), the character must make a current Stamina check to avoid death at the end of the duration. An exclamation point (“!”) means that the character will die after the end of the duration.[1]

For example, an exposure of S40R5+1d10! would mean that the character suffers a -40 percent penalty to all ability and skill checks for a duration of 6-15 days, but will then die. An exposure of S50/R0! would indicate that a character received such a lethal dose of radiation that they would suffer from a -50 percent penalty for all ability checks and would die within the day.

If any ability statistic, other than Stamina, drops below 0, the character would fall unconscious; he would lose 1 point in that ability permanently per day of unconsciousness. So, if a character started with a Dexerity score of 40, but went unconscious for 10 days, when he awakens his new DEX score would be 30.

If Stamina drops below zero, the character is considered dead and would lose 1 point of Stamina per turn until reaching minus 30 STA at which point freeze fields, surgery, etc. would not work to revive the character.

Use the Mild Radiation Sickness Table if the Radiation Exposure Chart indicates that a character would suffer from mild radiation poisoning; use the Serious Radiation Sickness Table if a serious illness was rolled. Apply any appropriate modifiers to the roll.

A character that suffers from a serious illness is often incapacitated, requiring medical care similar to those who have suffered from major wounds. The sickness tables provide some guidelines on how to handle radiation exposure levels, the initial effects, whether there is a chance of death and the effects of Neurad in treating radiation poisoning.

Death. This column indicates whether or not the radiation sickness may lead to death. In many cases, the player may need to roll a current Stamina check for their character, sometimes with a modifier. If the character is being treated in a hospital, they receive an additional +20 percent modifier to avoid death.

Onset. This refers to the period of time before a character begins to exhibit symptoms of radiation poisoning. Assume that a character’s condition will normally worsen over the course of hours rather than the full effect of the radiation poisoning hitting all at once.  See “Effects and Symptoms of Radiation Sickness by Race” for more information.

For example, a character suffering from an S20/R30* sickness would suffer the onset of symptoms such as headaches and nausea after about 1 to 2 hours and the referee could impose an initial -5 percent penalty for ability and skill rolls, but an hour later, the symptoms would worsen and the ability and skill penalties increase to -10 percent, etc. This would keep the player guessing as to just how bad an illness the character has unless properly diagnosed.

Latent. A character suffering from radiation sickness can later develop other health problems, including cancer, as a result. If a player or referee rolls the indicated number or less, consult the Latent (Long-term) Effects sub-section.

Neurad Treatment. Neurad treatments are only 100 percent effective if used within the first five days of radiation sickness; if used after the sickness has run its course, it has no effect and will not revive a dead character.

If Neurad is used on a patient who is suffering from radiation sickness, but it is after the first five days, the Medtech suffers a penalty when rolling to successfully treat the character. The penalty is a -5 percent modifier per day after the fifth day. For example, “Doc” Umungus injects Neurad into a Dralasite who has been suffering from radiation poisoning (S10/R10). The patient has been suffering for six days, so Umungus gets a -5 percent penaltyto his skill check.[1] See the Radiation Treatments subsection for more information.

Modifiers to the Radiation Sickness Chart. Although the Radiation Exposure Table provides some general guidelines, the referee may want to take into account the fact that there are different types of radiation including gamma, beta, neutron and alpha rays. Different types of shielding and even Star Frontiers power screens will provide various levels of protection in addition to an inssuit.[2]

• Low Level Radiation. Anything above normal background radiation but below 10 rads.
• Medium Level Radiation. Radiation between 11 and 99 rads.
• Severe Level Radiation. Radiation between 100 and 199 rads.
• Extreme Level Radiation. Radiation levels above 200 rads.
• Brief Exposure. For game purposes, a brief exposure to radiation can be defined as a period of time measured in combat turns to minutes. Obviously a brief exposure to low levels of radiation is less harmful to a character than a medium, severe or extreme level of radiation.
• Moderate Exposure. This can be considered as exposure to radiation over a period of minutes to hours or even a day. Again, exposure to low levels of radiation is less harmful than to higher levels.
• Prolonged Exposure. Contact with radioactive substances over an extended period of time ranging from more than a day to weeks, months or even years. One example would be exposure to radon – this is a naturally occuring gas that is ordorless and invisible. Radon emits alpha radiation and is known to contribute to the development of lung cancer in people who have been exposed to elevated levels over a lifetime. Often, radon is measured in picocuries; a picocurie is one trillionth of a curie.[3]
• Acute Exposure. A brief yet very intense exposure to radiation. This may be considered to be much more harmful to a character – or, at least, brings out radiation sickness and death much more quickly than a brief or moderate exposure.
• Wounds, Poisoning, Etc. A character who is already suffering from serious wounds, disease, poisoning from a toxin, and other maladies is much more succeptible to radiation illness.  
  

Real World Radiation Exposure Examples. While the game rules try to reflect reality, here are some actual examples of what can happen to a person who suffers from acute radiation exposure, including:

·        0-25 Rad: No observable effect.

·        25-100 Rad: Slight blood changes.

·        100-200 Rad: Significant reduction in blood platelets and white bloodcells (temporary).

·        100 Rad: A single dose can cause radiation sickness, but not death.

·        200-500 Rad: Severe blood damage, nausea, hair loss, hemorrhage, death in many cases.

·        400 Rad: Sufficient to wipe out a Human’s immune system. About 50 percent of victims die within a few days from infections, though this condition can be successfully treated with medicines.

·        500 Rad: A single dose can kill half of those exposed to it within a month.

·        More than 600 Rad: Death in less than two months for over 80 percent of cases; this was the typical exposure of a Chernobyl worker who died within a month.

·        800 Rad: If this is total body irradiation in a short time, causes the sloughing off of the mucosal throughout the gastro-intestinal tract within a few days. Victims suffer severe fluid and blood loss (bloody diarrhea) and die.

·        1,000 Rad: Fatal within weeks

·        1,200 Rad: Total body irradiation at this level causes brain swelling within a few hours. The victim will get bad headaches, go unconscious and then die.[4]

Other sources note that the human body can absorb up to 200 rad without fatal consequences. A dose of 450 rad is fatal in about half the cases while more than 600 rad is almost always fatal. A person can absorb and survive many thousands of rads if they are adminstered carefuly in controlled doses over a long period of time.

Exposure to radiation can occur by inhalation, ingestion, o rdirect contact, according to an article on Doctor-Clinic.Org. The existence and severity of tissue damage depends on the amount of body area exosed (the smaller the better), length of exposure, dosage absorbed, distance from the source and the presence of protective shielding.[5]

Effects and Symptoms of Radiation Sickness by Race[1]

The following tables provide lists of radiation sickness symptoms by race purely to provide some flavor for the purposes of roleplaying characters with these conditions. Symptoms that are indicative of a serious illness are designated with a (S) before the description. The tables also provide optional racial effects. Again, these symptoms and effects are largely here for variation rather than trying to be balanced or fair.

Initial signs andsymptoms. The initial signs and symptoms of treatable radiation sickness in Humans are usually nausea and vomiting. The amount of time between exposure and when these symptoms develop is an indicator of how much radiation a person has absorbed. After the first round of symptoms, a character with serious radiation sickness may have a brief period with no apparent illness, followed by the onset of new, more-serious symptoms.

In general, the greater your radiation exposure, the more rapid and more severe your symptoms will be. [2]

Signs and symptoms of radiation sickness

Latent (Long-term) Effects

Most radiation damage is much like burn damage, yet some damage is caused by direct damage to molecular structures (like DNA or essential proteins within a cell). This sort of damage is more difficult to quantify and can be considered latent (long-term) damage including sterility, prolonged illness and fatigue, premature childbirths, permanent loss of hair, internal and/or external bleeding, cell death in certain tissues and various forms of cancer.

For those wishing to delve into the fanciful idea of how radiation can cause mutations in Gamma World^® style may try to obtain a copy of “Gamma Dawn.” This is a compilation of fan-based rules edited by Bill Logan and posted on places such as the Star Frontiersman magazine website. These rules were created by an unknown author and eventually posted on RPG.NET. Logan removed “obscurities and references to house rules” and “stripped it of all things ‘Zebulon’s Guide.’”

This compilation of Alpha Dawn/Zebulon’s Guide rules will not attempt to duplicate Logan’s work.

The long-term effects of radiation sickness can be a plot device for later adventures.

For example, Garlus Tylappar is a crusty, old spacer who for 20 years has been the master of the space freighter Gullwind. Over the years he has been exposed to high levels of radiation on more than one occasion and suffered from radiation sickness. Though treated several times, the damage done to his body has resulted in him coming down with a malignant form of cancer that cannot be treated.

Treatments for Radiation Sickness

Neurad is not the be-all and end-all treatmen tfor radiation poisoning in the Frontier. Other treatments include Anarad drugs, which provide some resistance to radiation; along with Neu-TreX and Rad-TreX, which are both chemical solution treatments that bond with radiation particles and allow them to pass through a character’s system. Advanced Frontier planets also have nano-tech treatments, using nanites to correct sub-cellular damage that is caused by radiation. [1]

The effectiveness of these treatments depends upon how soon they are administered to when the character was exposed to radiation.

Most radiation damage is similar to burn injuries, but it also includes damage to DNA and essential protiens within a cell, which leads to the development of long-term health problems, such as cancer.

Anarad-5, -10,-20. Anarad is the name for an exotic drug that lessens radiation damage to a degree. A “radioprotectant,” Anarad is taken by a character before he is exposed to radiation. It works by scavenging up free radicals that are created when cellular matter is irradiated and water molecules are broken up; it also helps with DNA repair.

Anarad-5 (A-5) protects a character up to 5 rad per hour; Anarad-10 (A-10), up to 10 rad per hour; and Anarad-20 (A-20), up to 20 rad per hour. The drug can only be administered once during a 20 hour period and guards against radiation for a 5 hour period. These drugs also provide some benefits in reducing the effects of radiation sickness (see the Radiation Sickness Modifier table).

The costs for the Anarad drugs is as follows: 500 Credits for a dose of A-5; 1,000 Credits for a dose of A-10; and 2,000 Credits for a dose of A-20. Weight: negligible.[2]

Neu-TreX. This drug is often used in conjunction with Neurad, though it can be administered to acharacter up to week after the initial (or subsequent) exposure to radiation. A potent diarrhetic, this drug comes in a one liter dispenser and must be given intravenously over a period of at least 20 hours. A character usually should be confined to bed (or immobilized) while this solution is given.

Radiation particles bond to the chemical solution which then passes out of the patient’s system. It will remove 2d10 rads from a character’s rad count. Neu-TreX will also reduce the effects of radiation sickness by one-fourth (round numbers down), these benefits are in addition to any help that a Neurad treatment provided. If the character needs to make a current Stamina check to avoid death, the player receives a +5 percent bonus, but it will not help if the results of an illness is death (when the duration number is followed by an exclamation point “!”).  

Although multiple Neu-TreX treatments can be given, it will remove no more than 50 rads total from a character during that character’s lifetime. Additional treatments – after the first one – while a character is still suffering from radiation poisoning will not further decrease the character’s symptoms or provide any additional modifiers when conducting a Stamina check.

For example, Rum Rogue is suffering from serious radiation poisoning (S15/R30*). A medic successfully administered a Neurad treatment, which reduced the illness to a S10/R20*. Rum Rogue would still need to make a current Stamina check with a +10 percent modifier, but then the medic successfully treated the character with two Neu-TreX doses. The chemical knocked down Rum Rogue’s rad count by 26 rad (a 2d10 roll of 17 for treatment one and a roll of 9 for treatment two).

Thanks to the Neu-TreX treatments, Rum Rogue’s illness was reduced to S7/R15*. His player can make a current Stamina check with an additional +5 percent modifier.

Cost: 1,000 Credits. Total package weight: 1.5 kilograms.

Rad-TreX.  A much more powerful solution than Neu-TreX, Rad-TreX must also be given to a patient in an IV fashion over the course of 20 hours and the patient must be immobilized during this time. It can be given before or after a character receives Neu-TreX and/or Neurad.

Rad-TreX removes 4d10+5 rads from a character; it will also reduce the effects of radiation poisoning by half (round any figures down) and provides a +10 percent modifier if the character needs to make a current Stamina check to avoid death. If the results of the illness still call for death (when the duration number is followed by an exclamation point “!”), the character can make a current Stamina check, but without the +10 percent modifier.

Although multiple treatments of Rad-TreX can be administered, it will eliminate no more than 150 rads from a character during that character’s lifetime. Additional treatments – after the first one – while a character is still suffering from radiation poisoning will not further decrease the character’s symptoms or provide any additional modifiers when conducting a Stamina check.

Rad-Trex comes in a one-liter dispenser unit. Cost: 3,000 Credits.Total unit weight: 1.5 kilograms.[3]

Nano-Rad Treatment. Available at the Frontier’s finest hospitals, this treatment uses microscopic robots called nanites to repair sub-cellular damage and kill mutated cells before a cancer-like growth pattern can begin. If given while a character is suffering from radiation sickness it will reduce any effects by half.

If a character has a chance of dying (when an asterisk "*" follows the duration number), they will receive a +20 percent modifier to their Stamina rolls. If results call for death at thee nd of radiation sickness' duration (when the number is followed by an exclamation point "!") , the character can make a current Stamina check with a +5 percent modifier. It will reduce the likelihood of latent effects by 20 percent. This treatment can also be given up to a month after the character’s exposure to radiation, though it will then only reduce the chance of developing latent diseases by 20 percent.

The Nano-Rad nanites must be controlled by at least a level 1 computer with a chronocom transmitter. Cost (does not include control computer): 20,000 Credits. Mass (does not include control computer):  N/A.[4]

Radiation Fallout and Contamination Zones

As you get farther away from the source of radioactive contamination, the radiation level will fall. Conversely, the closer you get to the source, the rad level will increase.[1]

The referee could create a map for anything ranging from a large scale calamity – such as a nuclear plant meltdown or atomic weapon strike – to smaller scale disaster such as a radiation leakage from an atomic engine or nuclear battery.

Keep in mind that radiation fallout isn’t always in a neat ring from the center of a disaster or nuclear weapon’s strike. Wind direction and geographic features may cause radiation contamination to be more concentrated in some areas than others. Also, a character may move in and out of areas of more and less intense radiation during an encounter, receiving different doses. These all add up over time.

Nuclear Weapon Strikes. The use of atomics in the Frontier – at least on ground-based targets – has been rare. This has been true from the early conflicts between members of the Core Four races, before the founding of the United Planetary Federation, through the Truane’s Star civil war, Laco’s War and other megacorporation conflicts, pirate raids and even through the Sathar Wars.

Due to destructive power of these weapons, most governments and corporations have refrained from using them simply because it wrecks one of the rarest commodities in the galaxy – habitable land.

Where they have been used, the most severe radiation hazards will have decreased after about two years. The apparent craters of any tactical or strategic weapons – those ranging from 100 to 750 kilotons – will be 100 to 400 meters in diameter and 20 to 70 meters deep. The craters caused by strategic weapons – in the 1 to 10 megaton range, will be 200 to 800 meters in diameter and some 0 to 150 meters deep.

The term “apparent” is used deliberately; it refers to the diameter of the apparent (visible) crater. An area of about twice the visible diameter has been completely shifted and disrupted and is as radioactively dangerous as the visible crater itself.[2]

Assume that the initial radiation level where a nuclear warhead has detonated was 6,000 rad, which is an immediate fatal dose, though the heat from the blast usually incinerates targets. Most of the radioactive contamination rapidly falls off over time, but the main danger around an impact crater is from heavily irradiated metal in the area. Assume any character within an impact crater suffers 1d10 rads per minute.

Reduce the rad exposure by half to characters riding in an open vehicle; reduce the rad exposure by a factor of ten for those riding in an enclosed vehicle. A radiologically shielded vehicle may totally eliminate any danger of radiation exposure. [3]

Updated April 30, 2018

Radiation in Space. One of the most common hazards to adventuring player characters is when they travel into space and are more directly exposed to cosmic rays and radiation from solar flares or coronal mass ejections. Another hazard, especially for spacer engineers, is if they need to work on a starship’s engines, whether this is performing a routine engine overhaul on an atomic drive or needing to make emergency repairs on a running atomic or ion drive.

Sunspots. Sunspots are areas of very strong magnetic fields on the surface of a star. Occassionally some sunspots become unstable and explode, releasing huge amounts of energy into space. Called a solar flare, this energy is “the equivalent of millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombsexploding at the same time.”

Solar Flares. Containing different forms of energy including heat, magnetic energy and ionizing radiation, solar flares release x-rays and gamma rays. The radiation from these bursts can damage satellites along with disrupting planetary radio communications.

Although solar flares are massive explosions, anyone on a surface of a planet would usually need some kind of specialized equipment to see them on a star’s surface.

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Many stars produce these very powerful solar flares. They are huge bursts of x-rays and electrified hot gas. Called a coronal mass ejections, these explosions form proton storms of ionized radiation that travel at nearly the speed of light.

Proton storms can interfere with radio communication and damage satellites and spacecraft by causing short circuits in electrical systems and shutting down computers. Characters operating outside of a ship in a spacesuit or workpod are in danger of being exposed to dangerous levels of ionizing radiation. Planets that have an atmosphere usually can shield people on the surface from the proton storm.

The charged particles from a proton storm interact with the atmosphere and cause spectacular changes to the atmosphere known as an aurora.[1]

Solar Activity and Characters. When in orbit around planets with a magneticsphere, characters, spacecraft and satellites are partially shielded from many high radiation dangers, though solar flares or coronal mass ejections would pose a potential hazard. Assume characters in an unshielded ship or spacesuit might be exposed to 1d10 rads per hour in such instances. Out away from a planet, CME radiation can approach 100 rads or more per hour. Note, the ship would need to be in a more or less direct path of the outburst for radiation to hit this level.

Knight Hawks Activities. Changing a drive canister on an atomic drive produces 2d10 rads per hour. If a character needs to work on an operating atomic drive, assume it is producing 50 + 4d10 rads per hour where work would need to be done. An ion engine does not produce radiation while shutdown, but would produce 30 + 2d10 rads per hour while in operation. Chemical drives do not create radiation.

Most Frontier ships would be rated to shield passengers up to 500 rads with emergency areas for up to 2,000 rad. The nuclear-tipped torpedo would generate a burst of more than 2,000 rad. [2]

Updated April 30, 2018

Radiation Protection

Characters can be protected from the hazards of radiation in a number of ways. First, most Frontier nuclear power plants, nuclear batteries, atomic and ion drives are shielded to prevent radiationleakage to the environment. The next line of defense against radiation exposure are anti-rad implants, environmental suits, shipsuits, inssuits, spacesuits (a.k.a. vacc suits), E/P/N screens, many types of powered armor, and radiologically shielded vehicles, including the common Explorer.

An environmental suit will provide up to 5 rad/hour protection. A shipsuit (a fan-created piece of equipment) will protecta character up to 5 rad/hour.

Inssuits come in several different models including the engineer’s inssuit.

Anti-Rad Implant: This is a special implant that goes onto the back of the neck, directly linked into the spinal column. It helps the body produce antibodies to fight against radiation contamination.

Any character equipped with an anti-rad implant ignores 10 rads from any radiation source he’s exposed to. Furthermore,t he implant reduces the effects of radiation sickness – the intensity is reduced by 10 points (intensity is the number after the “S”) and the duration is also reduced by 10 points (the duration, in days, is the number after the “R”).

If the duration number is followed by an asterisk (“*”), which means the character would need to make a current Stamina check to avoid death, the anti-rad implant provides a +15 percent modifier. If the duration number is followed by an exclamation point (“!”), which means the character faces death, the implant can make a current Stamina check instead.

The benefits of the implant are additive to the effects of neurad and other treatments and anti-radiation shielding. For example, if a character had taken an Anarad-20 injection, he would be able to ignore the first 30 rads from any radiation source.

The implant is powered by the body’s own central nervous system’s electrical system, and will last for a year or so before requiring adjustment. Servicing an anti-rad implant can only be performed by a hospital with qualified medical technicians, and costs half as much as the original implant. Cost: 5,000 Credits. Mass: N/A.[1]

Inssuit Ten. Older versions of the engineer’s inssuit (prior to 25 FY) will shield a character from up to 10 rad/hour. Called the Inssuit Ten, it comes with a soft head covering, clear face shield and filter for breathing. It does not have a separate air supply, though the suit can be equipped with a specialized breathing mask. This inssuit can still be found on many older ships and space stations. Cost: 500 Credits, Mass: 2 kilograms

Inssuit 20. This is the standard inssuit found in the Engineer’s Tool Kit and will protect a character up to 20 rad/hour. The Inssuit 20 comes with a soft head covering, clear face shield and filter for breathing. It does not have a separate air supply, though the suit can be equipped with a specialized breathing mask. Cost: 1,000 Credits (if bought separately from the tool kit). Mass: 2 kilograms.

Inssuit 50. A bulkier outfit, the Inssuit 50 protects a character from radiation up to 50 rad/hour. This unit comes with a breather mask, filter and a supplemental four hour air supply. It can be used in near vacuum. A character wearing this suit suffers a -10 percent modifier to Reaction Speed checks and a -1 to his Initiative Modifier (IM). Cost: 2,000 Credits, Mass: 5 kilograms

Standard Spacesuit. The standard Knight Hawks spacesuit. It shields a character from radiation up to 25 rad/hour. Cost: 1,000 Credits (1,500 Credits for a Vrusk). Mass: 40 kilograms.

Shielded Spacesuit. A spacesuit for hazardous environments, it will shield a character from radiation up to 100 rad/hour. It is bulkier than a normal spacesuit with the wearer suffering from a -10 percent modifier to Reaction Speed checks and a -1 IM. Otherwise, its statistics are the same as a standard spacesuit. Cost: 4,000 Credits (4,500 Credits for a Vrusk). Mass: 60 kilograms.

Fighter Suit. Spacefighter pilots face extreme hazards of very high G acceleration along with radiation. These suits are extremely flexible and combine the features of a shipsuit and inssuit into one package. It consists of a layer of shock-absorbent gel between two layers of skeinweave integrated into a lightweight exoskeleton. Both the gel layer and the exoskeleton compensate for the effects of high G acceleration, allowing for normal manual dexterity and movement under thrust while helping to negate the adverse effects of acceleration.

The layers of skeinweave protect as a military skeinsuit absorbing one-half of any inertia damage, while the character takes the other half. It absorbs up to 50 points of damage. The suit’s built-in exoskeleton provides no additional benefit other than allowing normal movement under thrust.

The fighter suit protects a character from bursts of radiation up to 500 rad while having all the normal functions of a Frontier spacesuit. It also has a miniature rocket pack with 5 bursts of fuel that wil lallow a pilot who escapes from a fighter. Each fuel burst permits travel at 50 meters per turn, or make a minor course correction or to decelerate. Cost: 15,000 credits (no extra charge for Vrusk). Weight: 200 kilograms. 

Electron/Proton/Neutron(E/P/N) Screen. This is a specialized defense screen that can shield a character from radiation. The shield emitter cycles between electron, proton and neutron protection almost similar to a starship shield, but it is designed for and individual. It is very power hungry and loses effectiveness as the radiation intensity climbs. Characters would normally use an E/P/N Screen in conjunction with an inssuit.

It also will absorb damage like an albedo, gauss, and simp screen, but at double the normal power costs. For example, it will use 2 SEU for every 5 points of laser damage absorbed; 4 SEU every time it is hit with an electrical attack; and 1 SEU for every 3 points of rafflur fire absorbed. It will protect against maser and bolt weapons fire at a power cost of 4 SEU per hit. 

Cost:5,000 Credits, Weight: 5 kilograms

Explorer. In addition to its other capabilities, the common explorer vehicle is shielded where it will protect its occupants from radiation levels of up to 20 rad per hour.

Not that I want to argue with the game's creator -- especially years later -- but the cost seems very cheap compared to other protective gear that were previously introduced including the chillsuit. Also, its benefits are still a bit ill defined.

Back to Radiation Protection Ideas

Robots, Equipment and Radiation

Robots and equipment can be disabled by high levels of radiation…

More to come...