See also: Character Combat
Certain debilitating attacks reduce one's combat effectiveness instead of one's Hit Points. Examples include a Stun Grenade blast, a Forced March, a paralyzing venom, or long-term exposure to extreme temperatures.
Multiple Conditions have cumulative effects and can quickly drive a creature from its normal state to unconsciousness, or disable an otherwise functional Droid, Vehicle, or device.
Physically debilitating attacks are usually made against the target's Fortitude Defense, while mentally deliberating attacks target one's Will Defense. Either type of attack pushes the target along the same track.
The Condition Track[]
A creature, Droid, object, or Vehicle not affected by any debilitating Conditions is assumed to be in a "Normal State," which represents one end of the Condition Track. Each debilitating effect to which it succumbs moves it one or more steps along the Condition Track.
A creature pushed to the last step on the Condition Tack falls Unconscious (see Falling Unconscious).
A Droid, object, or Vehicle pushed to the last step on the Condition Track is Disabled until Repaired using the Mechanics skill. When a device is pushed down the Condition Track, apply the indicated penalty on Skill Checks to any skill check made with the device.
When a Vehicle is pushed down the Condition Track, all of the Vehicle's occupants suffer the same penalties as the Vehicle itself until the Vehicle is either Disabled or Repaired. Penalties imposed by multiple Condition Tracks are cumulative; in other words, a Vehicle's occupants suffer the effects of their own personal Condition Tracks in addition to the effects of the Vehicle's Condition Track.
| Normal State (No Penalties) |
|---|
| -1 Step ↕ +1 Step |
| -1 Penalty to all Defenses; -1 Penalty on Attacks, Ability Checks, and Skill Checks |
| -1 Step ↕ +1 Step |
| -2 Penalty to all Defenses; -2 Penalty on Attacks, Ability Checks, and Skill Checks |
| -1 Step ↕ +1 Step |
| -5 Penalty to all Defenses; -5 Penalty on Attacks, Ability Checks, and Skill Checks |
| -1 Step ↕ +1 Step |
| Move at Half Speed; -10 Penalty to all Defenses; -10 Penalty on Attacks, Ability Checks, and Skill Checks |
| -1 Step ↕ +1 Step |
| Helpless (Unconscious or Disabled) |
Removing Conditions[]
You can improve your Condition by spending three Swift Actions to use the Recover Action, moving +1 step along the Condition Track. You can spend all Three Swift Actions in a single round, or spread them out across consecutive rounds.
For example, you could spend a Swift Action at the end of one turn and two Swift Actions at the start of your next turn to move +1 step along the Condition Track. Certain situations may prevent you from spending Swift Actions to move toward a Normal State on the Condition Track (see Persistent Conditions below).
Resting for eight consecutive, uninterrupted hours usually removes all debilitating Conditions afflicting a creature and returns it to its Normal State.
Some causes of debilitation, such as Poison and Hunger, may prevent a creature from improving its Condition or returning to its Normal State until the cause of the debilitation is treated (see Persistent Conditions below).
Persistent Conditions[]
Some Hazards and attacks (such as Poison and Disease) result in a Persistent Condition that cannot be removed except in certain circumstances. Any time a Condition is Persistent, you cannot use the Recover Action to move steps up the Condition Track, and you do not regain any Hit Points from Natural Healing.
However, once a Persistent Condition is removed by satisfying the requirements starting in its description, you can move up the Condition Track and heal normally.
Persistent Conditions do not prevent you from moving up the Condition Track by means other than the Recover Action or resting for eight hours. For example, an Unconscious creature that fails its first Constitution check has a Persistent Condition from its injuries, but it still moves +1 step on the Condition Track when it makes a successful Constitution check to regain consciousness.
Multiple Persistent Conditions[]
Sometimes you are affected by more than one Persistent Condition. For example, you might be Poisoned after already suffering the effects of a Disease. In this case, you must satisfy the requirements for removing all these Persistent Conditions before you can move up the Condition Track.