Dehydration
Dehydration is the consequence of not drinking enough water, which must be replenished every day, particularly in hot, dry weather. The amount of water that must be drunk to remain healthy is determined by the character's weight, adjusted by the day's peak temperature grade. This water need not be pure, though even mildly impure water may have unpleasant results.
In most northerly climates, dehydration is a comparatively minor concern; temperate and sub-arctic environments abound in fresh water, while humanoids need comparatively little water to maintain themselves. In hot climates, however, the lack of a fresh supply of water can quickly become dire, leading to shocking effects on the body and an unpleasant death.
Water Requirements
| temperature grade | fl.oz./lb. of weight, per day |
|---|---|
| pleasant and below | 0.5 |
| warm, balmy or sweaty | 0.6 |
| sweltering to feverish | 0.7 |
| baking | 0.9 |
| scorching | 1.2 |
For those unfamiliar with fluid ounces, there are 16 fl.oz. in a pint, 32 fl.oz. in a quart, 128 fl.oz. in a gallon and 33.8 fl.oz. in a litre.
The table indicates that a 100 lb. character on a day when the temperature is "pleasant" or cooler (up to 69°F/21°C), would have to drink about 50 fluid ounces of water to remain hydrated, or a little more than 1½ quarts. That same character in warm, balmy or sweaty conditions (between 70-99°F/22-37°C) would have to drink 60 fl.oz. each day, or nearly two quarts. A goatskin bag or a winesack, used to carry fluid, each have a capacity for two quarts, so plainly characters need to fill either up on a daily basis when travelling.
It does well if a party carries along a keg, which has a capacity of five gallons, should they ever wish to travel to a place where there's no immediate water to be had.
