Fatigue measures characters wearing down through strenuous action, combat strain, forced recovery, and long-term exertion.
Unfatigued is a character's normal condition. As fatigue builds, that condition is replaced by progressively worse conditions. This is referred to as gaining a fatigue level.
Fatigue Levels
| Level | Condition | Attack Penalty | Move | Threatens | Reactions | Deflect | Primary Action | Status | Effects |
| 0 | Unfatigued | 0 | 0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Active | No fatigue penalties |
| 1 | Fatigued | -1 | -1 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Active | Move 5' less per round; -1H; does not threaten |
| 2 | Tired | -2 | -2 | No | No | No | Yes | Active | Move 10' less per round; -2H; loses reactions and cannot deflect |
| 3 | Exhausted | -3 | Half movement | No | No | No | Yes | Active | Move at half movement; -3H; loses reactions |
| 4 | Useless | -3 | 0' | No | No | No | No | Incapacitated | Loses primary action; 0 movement and free actions only; treated as incapacitated |
| 5 | Unconscious | 0 | 0' | No | No | No | No | Unconscious | If fatigued while useless, you fall unconscious |
| 6 | Dead | 0 | Dead | No | No | No | No | Dead | If fatigued while useless and unconscious, you die |
Useless Movement
A useless character can risk fatigue to move at half speed. Otherwise they have 0 movement and can only use free actions until they have had a short rest.
Gaining Fatigue in Combat
After round 6 in combat, everyone must start making CON saves after their turn. On a failure, they gain a fatigue level.
You must take a strenuous action in a round for that round to count toward fatigue. This is typically a primary action as well as a movement action. Spells and attacks are strenuous regardless of whether you move.
Recovery
If you rest for a round, taking no action and no movement, you may make a CON save to lose a fatigue level. This only applies if you are exhausted or less. If you are useless from fatigue, you must rest.
If the fatigue was gained through the recover action or long-term exertion, such as overland movement, you can recuperate by resting for a watch. A watch is 4 hours with no actions, including movement, and recovers one fatigue level.
Age and Fatigue
- For every 10 years over 40, you have a permanent round of fatigue that you no longer recover with rest
- At 70 you gain a permanent level of fatigue
- At 90 you gain another permanent level of fatigue