Electrical Damage

Electrical damage is complicated. The source, current, the path of the electricity, and condition of the body all factor in. The source determines the difficulty in adjusting the body to alter its flow through the body. The current and voltage determine the strength of the damage. The path modifies the damage. And the condition of the body modifies the damage.

These charts assume actual electrical damage and not damage from flames created by electricity, which would go to the fire chart.

Source	Difficulty to adjust (ATH vs. this)
Lightning	25
Electric chair	23
Loose electrical wire	17
Faulty appliance	15
Wetted appliance	11
Wall outlet	9
Strong electric fence	7
Electric eel	5
Common electric fence	3
Static discharge	1

Failure level of this roll determines the path the electricity takes through the body, which counts the same as if it were a PRO vs. ATH roll - in other words, Tie means -3 to damage, NF means normal damage, SF means +3, EF +6, CF +9.

The conditions of the body that are relevant is the amount of water or open wounds. Open wounds go by number of wound, not wound level, so it is +1 damage per wound. Wetness is determined by categories: dry (+3 vs. damage), damp/sweaty (-1), wet (-3), soaked (-6), submerged (-9). After a round of battle or five minutes of heavy activity in room temperature, all characters are assumed to be sweaty unless they are of a species that would not sweat.

Current, not voltage, seems to be the determining factor in how much damage electricity will do to a body. Voltage is comparable to pressure, while current is the flow. While voltage may affect current, it is the strength of the current - the flow through the body - that determines damage. As such, we will deal in current for the damage scores. Because .1 amp of electricity can kill a person in 2 seconds (on a critical hit), time is not a factor.

Current (in amps)	Damage
1	2
5	3
10	4
50	5
100	6
500	7
1000	8
2500	9
5000	10
10000	11
20000	13
40000	16
75000	19
120000	22
.1	1

Depending on the source, lightning bolts can be anywhere from 5,000 to one-billion amps, so… electricity is absurdly fucking dangerous, folks. Be careful out there.

Effects can vary beyond simple stun/wound:

Roll	Effect
Critical success	None
Exceptional success	None
Special success	Tingling (no mechanical effect)
Normal success	Pain (at entry location) and tingling (no mechanical effect)
Tie	Pain (at entry location), numbness, tingling (-1 ATH/PRO/STH for one round)
Normal failure	Pain (at entry location), numbness, tingling, muscle spasms (-1 all scores but STR)
Special failure	Electrical burns, abdominal or chest pain or headache or shortness of breath, vision or hearing difficulties, one issue from the below list of permanent post-recovery issues, plus all of the above (-3 all scores but STR)
Exceptional failure	Broken bones or dislocated joints from muscle spasms, seizure if exceptional stun, all of the above, permanent heart issues, two issues from the below list of permanent post-recovery issues, (-6 all scores but STR)
Critical failure	Heart attack, all of the above, three issues from the below list of permanent post-recovery issues, (-9 all scores but STR)

These are on top of the normal wound and stun effects (but the penalties do not stack). Even after healing, the character may still have memory loss, electrolyte imbalances, difficulty staying hydrated, immunodeficiency, compartment syndrome, heart issues, anxiety, depression, weakened muscles, kidney failure, cataracts, permanent hearing loss, or other issues.