Starvation
character lacking food and/or water will eventually die. The time this takes, however, is dependant upon the Characters Energy Level (EnL) and the exposure rate (ER).
For every day a Character lacks food he has a base ER 2, lacking water it is 4, lacking both the base ER is 6. This base ER is for minimal exertion. It is doubled for normal exertion and quadrupled for heavy exertion, the difference between the categories at the discretion of the GM. It is also doubled for a hot climate. The survival EL in the appropriate climate may be subtracted from this base ER, but may not more than halve it. The resulting ER is subtracted from EnL daily.
When a Character loses 50% of EnL this way he starts to become unbalanced and delerious. When the loss becomes more than 75% he is incapacitated and becomes unconscious. Whenever EnL reaches 0, for whatever reason, he is dead.
EXAMPLE - Mirdan van Kardelos (EnL 30, Desert Survival 4) finds himself left behind in the Klatch desert. He lacks food and water and starts to walk towards the fata morgana of an oasis at the horizon. His base ER is 6, multiplied by 2 for exertion, and again for hot climate, resulting in a base ER of 24. From this subtract survival EL, resulting in an effective ER of 20. Mirdan won't survive the second day. Were he at home (City Survival 9) attempting a hunger strike to save his ancient language Bratnix, his base ER would be 2. As he keeps rest all day long, there is no exertion penalty. Subtracting the survival EL may not more than halve the base ER, resulting in an effective ER of 1. He will start to mumble in Bratnix after 15 days, but this will go unnoticed, until after 23 days he lapses into a coma.
OPTIONAL - When ER is 8 or more, it is divided into four roughly equal parts, as for MR/PMR rules, and the partial ER is subtracted every 6 hours. When a Character has partial food or water, he may lower the base ER. When he eats at least half his daily food requirement, his base ER is lowered by 1. When he drinks at least half the needed amount of water, his base ER is 2 instead of 4.
EXAMPLE - Selim (EnL 86, EL 12) has found the fabled City of Puknor and stolen the Idol of Tur. When he was exploring the underground complex, his camel bolted and he is left without food and only little water in the Klatch desert. He cuts his water rations in half. His base ER is 2 for lack of food and 2 for partial lack of water. This is doubled for the hot climate, and quadrupled again as he refuses to leave the extremely heavy idol behind.The base ER is 32. Substract survival EL for an effective ER of 20. Every 6 hours he loses 5 energy points.