[Mechanic] Hunger Rules

[Throndir]

I'm using something along these lines. I'll edit this though since I want to change some numbers around. Otherwise this will be how hunger works.

Sleep will work similar, but with "units of sleep" instead of food as mentioned below. I'll write up more details exactly of how it'd work later on when we're at that point.

Everyone needs 3 arbitrary units of food a day (we can work out just how much a unit is later, it will depend on what they're eating anyway, probably ~800 kcals assuming full grown men), plus one unit for a day of strenuous physical activity (marching, entrenching etc) and another if they literally spend all day on the activity (forced march all day long, slave drivers literally working you 'til you drop etc). If you literally do nothing all day, you only need 2. Every missed unit give's you a 'hunger point'. Hunger points go away any time you have enough food for two days straight.
Hunger points less than your constitution score don't give you any penalties, other than the fact that you're hungry. Hunger points equal to or greater than your constitution score mean you're fatigued, and can't get better until your hunger points go away. Every further day you go without at least one unit of food, you must make a fortitude save (DC 5 + 1 per previous save). If you fail you become exhausted (which again doesn't go away as long as you have hunger points), and take one point of Strength and Constitution Drain (since there isn't a system of ability drain in d20 modern afaik, this is just permanently lost - they could recover it the same as they would increase any other stat, or if you're feeling generous by months of good food and training). Each day you don't eat at least one unit after becoming exhausted you take another point of Drain to STR and CON and make another save against DC 5. If you fail, you become unconsious (at which point you're pretty much dead unless you've got someone to nurse you back to health). Technically, this system would allow you to get to the 'fatigued' stage and then subsist on one unit/day (provided you don't mind being permanently fatigued), so it needs work...

Water would work a similar way, but it's much more situational, much faster, and doesn't have the same Strength and Constitution drain effect. If you're living in a cool, temperate climate not engaging in any physical activity and eating moist food, you essentially don't need to drink. If you're working hard in the hot sun of a tropical dessert, you're going to need to consume gallons of water every day, literally.