For whatever reason, your spinal column is in bad shape. During strenuous physical activity, you may “throw your back” and suffer crippling pain or further injury. Whenever you make a ST roll, and whenever you roll 17 or18 on an attack or defense roll in melee combat, or on a roll for an “athletic” skill such as Acrobatics, make a HT roll as well.
Modifiers: Any modifiers to the success roll for the activity that triggered the HT roll. For a long task that allows the luxury of planning, you can try to minimize the strain on your back; a successful IQ-2 or Physiology+4 roll gives +2 on the HT roll.
On a failure, you throw your back. Consequences depend on the severity of your case:
Mild: You are at -3 DX until you rest or someone helps you; a First Aid-2 roll will reset your back. You are also at -3 IQ, but during the next second only (for your next turn, in combat).On a critical failure, you are at -5 DX and must make a Will roll to perform any physical action. -15 points.
Severe: The HT roll is at -2. On a failure, DX and IQ are both at -4 until you receive rest or help; you are inconstant agony. On a critical failure, you take 1d-3 damage and are at -6 DX and -4 IQ. -25 points. High Pain Threshold (p. 59) halves all DX and IQ penalties (drop fractions), but does not eliminate them completely.