Status Affliction

Status effects are conditions which affect nichelings and usually deal damage over time. These effects can be acquired from plants, animals, or other nichelings, or can be caused by the tile or biome the creature is occupying.

## Sicknesses

### **Common Cold**

Common colds can be identified by a sneezing sound and the injury sound effect, and will generate an event notification. It can be identified by a symbol that resembles a virus particle. At the beginning of each turn, if the creature has a common cold, it will be damaged, taking a day off its life. The common cold lasts for 2 days, dealing at least 2 days of damage to the nicheling. Nichelings who have the common cold have a 75% chance of spreading the common cold to each adjacent nicheling. When this occurs, a separate event notification will appear with two virus particles side by side, letting the player know that another nicheling has been infected.

To prevent sickness from spreading, ensure that sick nichelings are at least 1 hex away from others.

Nichelings with two of the same immunity gene have a weak immune system and will have a perpetual common cold immediately upon birth. This effectively cuts their lifespan in half, from 24 days to 12 if they do not receive any healing.

### **Sleep Sickness**

In-game description: *This animal was infected by an insect and feels very sleepy.*

Sleep Sickness is inflicted on creatures by insect swarms. While afflicted with sleep sickness, nichelings suffer -2 Action Points. Since non-adult nichelings have less than 3 action points, sleep sickness effectively renders them tired for the day. It can be identified by a symbol with 3 Z's.

Sleep Sickness lasts for two days. There is a chance however for the nicheling to be reinfected if the insect swarms are still around, potentially causing a perpetual sleep sickness lasting for more than two days.

### **Poison**

In-game description: *This animal is poisoned.*

Poisoned animals are injured each day for three days, with each day dealing 2 days worth of damage for a total of 6 days of damage. It is given by attacking a poisonous animal, getting attacked by a venomous animal, and/or eating toxic berries. It can be identified by an icon of a white mushroom with red dots on the top.

So far, the only venomous and poisonous animals in the game are the nichelings themselves. Creatures with the Poison Resistance trait are immune to this status effect. Rogue males can have the Toxic Body gene.

Toxic Berry Bushes can be found in most biomes, and are particularly common in swamps.

## Other Conditions

### **Bleeding**

In-game description: *This animal is wounded. Lick it with another animal to stop the bleeding.*

Bleeding has a chance of occurring when a nicheling is attacked. Bleeding causes damage to the nicheling every turn. Nichelings with normal blood clotting will receive 1 day of damage per day for 3 days for a total of 3 damage. If another creature is adjacent, they can lick the wound to stop the bleeding. Bleeding can be identified by a red blood drop appearing on a creature and seeing if, when the creature is first attacked, there is a large red drop as well as the scratch.

### **Heavy Bleeding**

In-game description: *This animal is heavily wounded. Lick it with another animal to stop the bleeding.*

Just like bleeding, heavy bleeding acts identically, with the only difference being that the animal receives a much higher 3 days of damage per day for a total of 9 damage. Just like bleeding, heavy bleeding can be licked away by an adjacent packmate. Heavy Bleeding can only occur to nichelings with a dominant hemophilia gene.

Heavy bleeding cannot be caused directly by goldleeches. Heavy bleeding can, however, stack with regular bleeding under particular circumstances: A nicheling with a dominant hemophilia gene is attacked (causing it to have heavy bleeding) while also having a parasite that causes it to bleed.

### **Parasite**

In-game description: *This animal is being drained by a leech. Groom it with another animal to remove the parasite.*

When a creature is adjacent to a goldleech, the leech will latch on and give this condition to the creature. The creature will start bleeding a day after the parasite has latched on and be damaged each day. If another nicheling is adjacent, they can remove the leech, which will also provide 1 food.

The "parasite" effect will last for 5 days (including the day it attached) if it is not licked off. Since parasite effect causes nichelings to bleed, the bleeding caused by the parasite will effectively last for 7 days (resetting the 3 day timer each day, dealing a total of 7 days (21 for those with hemophilia suffering from heavy bleeding) of damage if it is not licked away.

### **Low Oxygen**

In-game description: *This animal can't breathe underwater*

Creatures without the Underwater Breathing ability can drown in deep waters and rivers. Water is considered "deep" if it is above the creature's head. Every time the drowning nicheling performs an action underwater, it will take 1 damage. Ending the day will deal 3 days of damage. It can be cured by moving the creature out of the deep water or onto dry land. It can be identified by a series of red bubbles appearing on a nicheling at the beginning of the day or after moving the nicheling into hex of water.

### **Cold**

In-game description: *This animal is cold and has reduced energy*

If a nicheling has low Cold Resistance and spends time in a cold biome, or a cold wave event occurs, they will start the day cold. Creatures who are cold have one less action point for the day. A creature can only spend a maximum of 2 days being cold. If they have not been given a source of heat during this time, they will become frozen the next day.

### **Frozen**

In-game description: *This animal is freezing. It needs warmth.*

Creatures who are cold for two consecutive days without warming up anytime during these days will become frozen the next day if the temperature doesn't get warmer. Frozen creatures take damage each turn they are frozen, including the turn they are initially frozen on. These creatures cannot move until another creature comes to thaw them. Moving two nichelings (or a nicheling with a heat body) adjacent the frozen one, so that it gains the 'warmed by packmates' effect, will automatically defrost the frozen nicheling without having to spend an action point to thaw them.

### **Hot**

In-game description: *This animal is hot and has reduced energy.*

If a creature has low Heat Resistance and spends time in a hot biome, or a heat wave event occurs, they will start the turn with the hot effect. Creatures who are hot have one less action point for the day.

### **Burning**

In-game description: *This animal is burning, extinguish the fire with another animal.*

If a nicheling is moved into a fire, caught in a fire, or spends a turn in a tile that is on fire, they will get the burning effect. Initially touching the fire will cause 5 days of damage. Burning furthermore will cause 1 day of damage for 3 days. To get rid of this effect, another nicheling must lick them extinguish them.

### **Paralyzed**

In-game description: *This animal is paralyzed.*

If a creature wanders next to a hostile meat eating plant in a jungle biome, the plant will suck the creature into it and paralyze it. The creature will not be able to do anything, though it will retain the action points it had prior to being grabbed and will have new action points after the turn ends. If not freed, the creature will have a chance to get the bleeding status and continue to be paralyzed. In order to free the captured nicheling, others must come to destroy the meat eating plant, dealing a total of 10 damage to it.

### **Stunned**

In-game description: *This animal is stunned.*

If a nicheling is under a coconut when it falls, they will be stunned (losing all action points) for 2 days - including the day there were initially stunned - and be dealt 1 day of damage

Tip: when a nicheling is stunned by a coconut, try NOT to collect the coconut under them. Another coconut might fall on their head before they have a chance to recover, which will stun them for longer and make them take more damage.

### **Stinky**

In-game description: *This animal has sticky juice sticking to it's fur.*

The Stinky effect is given when a nicheling picks fruit from a Smelly Fruit Tree. A nicheling who is stinky will have 0 scentless and 0 distasteful scent regardless of their genes and other effects (rolled in mud). The stinky effect lasts for 2 days, but can be reduced through licks. It requires two licks to completely remove the stinky effect within the same day. Licking once will cause the stinky effect to be removed the following day. Eating another fruit from the smelly fruit tree resets the stinky timer back to 2 days. There are no visual signs that a nicheling has this effect. The effect is indicated with an icon of a white berry that appears to be giving off an odor. The Stinky effect can potentially reveal your nicheling's location to the Smelling Ape if they are within 6 hexes of the ape.

### **Swarmed by Termites**

A nicheling gains this status effect if they interact with a hostile Termite Hill; it is important to note that **Harmless** Termite Hills will not give this effect to nichelings. Nichelings will take one damage each day for three days before the ailment disappears, and the termites can be licked off by any adjacent nichelings to completely remove this effect.

### **Warmed up**

In-game description: *This animal is being warmed up by its pack.*

The warmed up effect is given to a nicheling If a they are adjacent to at least two of its packmates, or at least one nicheling with heat body. Nichelings with this effect are immune to all cold temperatures and cannot get cold or frozen. The warmed up effect gives +2 cold resistance.

If an nicheling dies during the night while huddled in a group of three, the remaining two nichelings will still have the warmed up status effect for as long as they do not perform any actions.

It is important to note however that this +2 to cold resistance doesn't actually matter, since all nichelings who have this effect will sustain through any cold climate regardless of what their total cold resistance is (e.g a warmed up nicheling could have big ears, a tailfin, cooled in water, and have a net cold resistance of -1, but still remain warm during +5 cold winters).

Curiously, it is possible to warm up a wandering nicheling, but adjacent wandering nichelings cannot provide warmth to your nichelings.

### **Cooled Down**

In-game description: *This animal is being cooled down by water*

The cooled down effect is given to a nicheling if they are in an body of water regardless how deep. The effect gives -1 to cold resistance and +2 to heat resistance.

If the climate is very hot, it is still possible for a nicheling to feel hot even while being cooled down.

### **Shaded**

In-game description: *This animal is being cooled down by shadow.*

The shaded effect is given to nichelings adjacent to acacia trees. This effect gives +2 to heat resistance.

If the climate is very hot, it is still possible for a nicheling to feel hot even while being shaded.

### **Caused Sound**

Though not technically an effect, a nicheling who steps on a jungle hex with branches will have caused a sound. This causes the nicheling have 0 stealth regardless of their genes. This effect only lasts for the day it occured, and will disappear the next day.

### **Muddy**

In-game description: *This animal has disguised its scent with mud.*

The muddy effect is given to nichelings who spend an action point to roll in mud in a jungle island. This effect gives +3 scentless and lasts for 3 days (including the day it was first applied). The only way to maximized one's scentless ability is through this effect. Being muddy with a lean body gives a nicheling 6 scentless, making them undetectable to the big nosed ape

### **Healing**

In-game description: *This animal is being healed over time*

The healing effect is caused by being adjacent to a nicheling who has purred with the purr snout. The healing effect lasts for 3 days, healing 1 day of damage per day, effectively healing 3 days worth of damage. The 3-day timer will reset if the nicheling receives another purr.

A nicheling cannot apply the healing effect to themselves. Purring only provides the healing affect to adjacent nichelings and not nichelings on the same hex. This is most noticeable with mother nichelings who attempt to purr while in the nest with their newborn baby; the baby will not receive the healing effect as they're are not an adjacent hex.

The healing effect happens during the day. Since nichelings age during the night, nichelings with one day to live due to damage will die the following day despite having the healing effect.