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The subject of this article appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. The subject of this article appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. The subject of this article appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

One of the most common threats in the Zone is radiation. Serious exposure will harm your health and can be terminal if not treated adequately.
100 Zone Survival Tips

Radiation is an environmental hazard in the Zone which has appeared in all games of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series so far.

Overview[]

Radiation signs CoP

Radiation warning signs in Call of Pripyat

Clicking sound of a Geiger counter in a radioactive area

Pockets of ionizing radiation, or simply radiation for short (areas where the ambient radiation count exceeds 50 µR per hour) can be found all over the Zone, either as a result of fallout from the Chernobyl disaster, or from post-second disaster phenomenon. In the outside areas, radiation tends to be dominant in wide, open spaces and on piles of scrap (such as the dirt or scrap piles in Garbage), abandoned vehicles and mechanical devices. Artifacts are also a common source of radiation, and most of them will continuously contaminate the player when equipped - save for a few, which have the opposite effect.

Radiation is most easily detected with the player's Geiger counter which produces a distinctive clicking noise, the frequency of which is proportional to the strength of measured radiation. HUD icons may also be displayed in case the player is visiting a radioactive area. Radiation also causes the image to become grainy and changes its color, although the associated visual effects depend on the game.

While radiation affects all living beings, mutants in the Zone seem completely immune to it, most likely as a result of the mutation they underwent following the 2006 disaster. Zombified Stalkers, and Monolith fighters, also seem immune to it to some degree, as they can be found in heavily irradiated areas such as the Sarcophagus without using protective outfits.

Effects[]

Radiation CoP

Visual effects of radiation exposure in Call of Pripyat - the player's view goes into an amber monochrome

Radiation poisoning is one of the most common hazards in the Zone. The player's level of radioactive contamination is directly measured with a gauge in Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, although in Call of Pripyat the gauge is replaced by a colored radiation icon, the color of which (yellow -> orange -> red) is proportional to the level of radiation poisoning.

The most common effect of radiation poisoning in-game is continuous loss of health, the rate of which is proportional to the degree of radiation poisoning. This effect is particularly severe in Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, but less so in Call of Pripyat. Radioactive contamination does not go away on its own and must be reduced or completely eliminated through the use of drugs or other mods.

There are several ways to reduce radiation levels:

  • Anti-radiation drugs are the most common way to purge accumulated radiation, although other healing items such as the scientific medkit, or the army medkit and the first-aid kit depending on the game, can also eliminate radiation to some degree. Cossacks vodka also has a minor anti-radiation effect.
  • Certain artifacts can be equipped to purge radiation, such as the Thorn or the Bubble.
  • Doctors in Call of Pripyat can also eliminate received radiation completely, and do so free of charge.

The player also has a statistic, radiation resistance, that lessens the accumulation of radiation. The most common way to improve radiation resistance is to wear protective outfits such as the SEVA suit, although radioprotectant can be used to also inhibit the accumulation of radiation for a short amount of time.

Glitches[]

  • In Shadow of Chernobyl, there is a known glitch which may occur when hitting a level changer while accumulating radiation. After changing levels, the game does not register the fact the player has left the radioactive zone and keep adding radiation to the player. The only ways to avert this glitch are to equip a sufficient amount of anti-radiation artifacts, or to ensure the player is not accumulating any amount of radiation when switching levels. This glitch is known in the community as the "permanent radiation bug" and has been fixed in a certain amount of fan-made patches.

Trivia[]

  • NPCs are completely immune to radiation.
  • The Geiger counter sound effect is also heard in the Metro series.
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