Agony Engine

by Wyatt Smith
 The Agony Engine
The Agony Engine is an adaptable health system that focuses on a character's mental
and physical thresholds rather than hit points, bringing a more visceral realism to
combat and roleplaying.

Condition color indicates the level of suffering a character is in.

Green Standard character start: stable in mind and body

Yellow Minor trauma
Orange Intense strain and stress
Red Extreme distress
Black Fatal affliction

Static Effect is a modifier inherited while under that level of distress.

After the necessary Care Period of improvement, the character will rise to the next level.
They will require that level's Care period to improve upward and so on. If combat is
engaged during the care period, another day is added to the total time to be healed if
below Yellow.

Day: 18-24 hour period.

Rest: Time outside of combative scenarios, as well spent with companions in comrades.

Medical Aid and Mental Care checks can be made over the care period to hasten
someone’s recovery. The number provided is the soonest time one can recover with a
check made and passed each day.

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 Conditions
G re e n Standard character start, stable mind, and body.

Static Effect:
Steady hands: +1 to any checks requiring coordination.

Yello w Minor Trauma e.g., few punches swung their way or running at
all one's speed, hearing rounds wiz over their head.

Static Effect:
Heightened awareness: the character receives a +1 to all
fight or flight focused checks while in this state as
adrenaline is kicking in.

Treatment:
Requires 2-3 hours of rest, 1 hour with medical aid skill or
mental care

O ran g e Intense strain and stress, e.g., Being sliced with blade, hit with
a bat, or witnessing an execution.

Static Effect:
Dazed: -1 to all mental and social checks, carries to lower
states of health.

Treatment:
Requires 2-3 days of rest, 1 with skilled medical aid or
Mental Care

R ed Extreme Distress, e.g., gunshot wound or violent stabbing,

witnessing the death of a dear friend, injecting sedatives

Static Effect:
Under the Gun: -1 to all skill checks.
Cries in the Night: - 2 to all stealth checks
Treatment:
Requires 4-5 days of rest, 3 if they have help of a skilled
medical aid or Mental Care

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 Conditions
Bl ack Fatal affliction and the desire for the end, e.g., mortally
wounding or the gun being placed in one's mouth with fingers
around the trigger.

Static Effect:
Please make this end: -4 to all skill checks.
Broken Save: Roll a standard check unmodified.

Upon failing, the character lives with failure meaning the loss
of the individual. This does not mean they are corpses, only
that this character is no longer valid to be played after the
current scene has ended.

The first time this happens, the Green condition is forever

locked away. No amount of aid will ever improve this.

The second time this check is passed, Yellow too is locked

away.

Upon the third and final time this condition is met, the
character will end play no matter what. They now choose
between Final Stand or Earn This.

Final Stand: You have earned your final breaths, till the end
of this scene where you WILL DIE, your condition is Green
for one last time. Do with these moments as you will.

Earn This: You did this for them, for their tomorrow. You die,
as you do, you extol one last bout of courage to your team.
No matter their condition, all allies within sight raise their
health condition by 1 step.

Do not go quietly into that good night,

rage rage against the dying of the light.
Treatment:
7-9 days of rest, 5 with help of a medical skill aid or Mental
Care

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 Adjusting for your game
The present values are in relation to the DEADFROST Game Engine.

They of course can modify to whatever dice system a Game leader would enjoy.

Simply alter the value to what is most relevant to one’s preferred engine.

DEADFROST (2d6) 1
D20 5
Percentile 10
Dice-less Interpretive

Looking to try out the Agony Engine ?

Check out DEADFROST
A survival role-playing game set in a cold, harsh world
where heat means life and every decision comes at a cost.