A low-maintenance physical needs and health system that gives characters persistent bodies without turning the story into a survival chore simulator. Tracks hunger, thirst, fatigue, cleanliness, temperature exposure, muscle soreness, pain, illness, fever, stomach problems, headaches, injuries, bleeding, blood loss, infection, treatment, and healing. Physical conditions develop based on time, activity, environment, injury, and established biology rather than random events or AI turns. Mild needs produce only occasional natural bodily cues, while serious neglect, exposure, illness, or injury can cause proportionate consequences. Injuries persist until genuinely healed, and treatment does not magically erase them. NPCs experience the same needs and may respond autonomously. For the player, the system may describe involuntary physical effects but never chooses voluntary responses, preserving Player Agency. Designed to work with the ×4 Universal Time system and remain adaptable across modern, historical, fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, and Beastkin scenarios.

Basic Needs & Health — Hunger, Sleep, Hygiene, Illness, Injury...