System Mechanics: Respiration

Three things are required for most life to exist: Respiration, Food and Liquid intake.  Previously, respiration was barely touched upon, simply to mention that it could be affected as per GM discretion from the environment and actions.  However, not all species require the same type of respiration, nor the same amount.  Mammals, of course, breath in oxygen on Earth, as does most life there.  Fish, however, get their oxygen primarily out of the water, rather than in gaseous form.  Plants absorb carbon dioxide and breath out oxygen, as opposite to most other forms of life on our planet.  With the variety of planets in the primary realm and other realms, life develops differently than it would for life on our own planet.  Humans across the multiverse, of course, have the same respiration as we have here, so it is quite easy to examine our own averages to regard other species for comparison.

Humans on average can go two minutes without oxygen before they start to asphyxiate.  This is less than a single turn, however that would be the absence of oxygen, not necessarily just low oxygen conditions.  The air content on earth is 21% oxygen, and for breathing range of safety for humans, a percentage between 19% and 24% will not cause ill effects, if other gases toxic to humans are not present in the air in high enough percentages.  However, at lower percentages many different effects can occur, the most prevalent we will be looking at are Shortness of Breath at 10%, and Asphyxiation at 6%.  On the other end of the spectrum, humans are able to take on 100% oxygen for short periods of time or even more than the standard range safely at lower atmospheric pressures for prolonged periods of time, but at higher ones oxygen toxicity is an issue.  At 1.5 atmospheres, 100% oxygen causes muscle spasms occur, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, seizures and other debilitating effects.  At 1.6 atmospheres, 100% oxygen becomes toxic and the central nervous system and other major organs start to shut down.  At 0.5 atmospheres with 50% oxygen the effect of nausea and other effects occurs, though it does take longer to show those symptoms.  Due to the inability to have a percentage higher than 100% for respiration rates, the percentage of a respiratory element or compound and the atmosphere must be multiplied together to get a rating of what is considered safe.  A standard atmosphere is 101.325 kilo-pascals, so 0.5 atmospheres is 50.662 kilo-pascals.  50% (0.5) of 50.662 is 25.332, so with rounding, 25% is the start of nausea, etc.  As the lower limit of permanent oxygen toxicity is believed to be 100% oxygen at 30 kilo-pascals, or 30% oxygen at 1 atmosphere for prolonged periods of time, the lower threshold of oxygen toxicity is thus 30%.

For Cubi: Asphyxiation (0-6), Shortness of Breath (7-14), Sufficient (17-46),  Elevated Effects (57-66), Toxic Overdose (67-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas or liquid.

For Draconis Dragon-Kin: Asphyxiation (0-6), Shortness of Breath (7-11), Sufficient (20-23),  Elevated Effects (24-36), Toxic Overdose (37-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Felinae: Asphyxiation (0-7), Shortness of Breath (8-12), Sufficient (18-25),  Elevated Effects (26-31), Toxic Overdose (32-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Gargoyles: Asphyxiation (0-15), Shortness of Breath (20-40), Sufficient (50-82),  Elevated Effects (83-88), Toxic Overdose (89-100).  Respiration type: Nitrogen, gas.

For Gitwerg: Asphyxiation (0-8), Shortness of Breath (9-14), Sufficient (20-30),  Elevated Effects (31-41), Toxic Overdose (42-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas or liquid.

For Gnome: Asphyxiation (0-8), Shortness of Breath (9-13), Sufficient (21-26),  Elevated Effects (27-33), Toxic Overdose (34-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Goblin: Asphyxiation (0-4), Shortness of Breath (6-10), Sufficient (17-28),  Elevated Effects (29-38), Toxic Overdose (39-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Humans: Asphyxiation (0-6), Shortness of Breath (7-10), Sufficient (19-24),  Elevated Effects (25-29), Toxic Overdose (30-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Kenthri: Asphyxiation (0-9), Shortness of Breath (10-16), Sufficient (20-27),  Elevated Effects (28-34), Toxic Overdose (35-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Naiad: Asphyxiation (0), Shortness of Breath (1-2), Sufficient (5-55),  Elevated Effects (56-61), Toxic Overdose (62-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas or liquid.

For Pixies: Asphyxiation (0-6), Shortness of Breath (7-13), Sufficient (18-49),  Elevated Effects (50-64), Toxic Overdose (65-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.

For Reynix: Asphyxiation (0-6), Shortness of Breath (7-11), Sufficient (19-25),  Elevated Effects (26-32), Toxic Overdose (33-100).  Respiration type: Oxygen, gas.