uhh...space is scary

[arconom]

If you have ever run a space game I could use your help. I need to know what happens to a person when they are suddenly in outer space and they forgot to bring their space gear.

[Agramer]

Originally Posted by arconom

If you have ever run a space game I could use your help. I need to know what happens to a person when they are suddenly in outer space and they forgot to bring their space gear.

They die painfully ....link....

[arconom]

I was kindof hoping for something more specific. I need to develop a mechanism of determining how long someone can survive.

[laguna]

if someone's only in low orbit, the cold might kill them before they get a chance to suffocate, high orbit or deep space, however, gets you explosive decompression.

I think, anyway. this post comes with a grain of salt.

[arconom]

explosive decomp only happens if they have air in their lungs, right? That should do a few d to the vitals?

[CousinX]

Originally Posted by arconom

I was kindof hoping for something more specific. I need to develop a mechanism of determining how long someone can survive.

About 30 seconds, if you don't try to hold your breath. Any longer, and the combination of ebullism (gas bubbles forming in bodily fluids, like a severe case of the Bends) and oxygen starvation cause permanent brain and tissue damage.

From Transhuman Space (p. 57):

"A human can’t hold his breath in vacuum, and might rupture his lungs trying. The only safe way to enter vacuum
is to exhale, leaving the mouth open. This allows a person to operate on the oxygen in his blood for (HT) seconds if active, four times that if moving slowly, or 10 times that if passive. Double these times if he hyperventilated first; quadruple them if he did so in pure oxygen. Halve these times if caught by surprise with no time for one deep breath. Once out of breath, one point of fatigue is suffered per turn; when ST reaches 0, the victim falls unconscious. Four minutes later, he dies. There is a chance of brain damage (permanent -1 to IQ) if the victim is saved after more than two minutes without air; roll vs. HT to avoid this."

[arconom]

What about HT checks to stay conscious? Also there's the whole retching from pressure/gravity change.

From what I just read about explosive decomp, if someone has air in their lungs, they would take damage the instant they entered the pressureless environment. That would be to vitals/lungs. After that I think the suffocation rules might do.

So...

You are suddenly in space! OH NO! Make a HT check. You failed. Start retching. Also your lungs feel really bad. You can see part of them on your friend's shirt. Take 12 injury. Oh look some seconds have passed and the suffocation rules come into play. Start making more HT checks. You hope your friend can save you in the next 12 seconds before you vegetize.

Does that sound right?

[combatmedic]

Here you go, some info from the space agency:



http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/as...rs/970603.html

[Agramer]

Originally Posted by arconom

I was kindof hoping for something more specific. I need to develop a mechanism of determining how long someone can survive.

Are you lazy to read provided link? ...and follow info from there...

Heres another

[arconom]

I missed that.

So...I guess all that stuff from before plus intense pain. Or I could just say "You die a horrible death" and make things much simpler.