Health items (DN3D)
From Duke Nukem Wiki
Duke Nukem 3D and its ports contain several items that instantly recover Duke's health, or otherwise grants him more protection against damage. These are collectively known as health items.
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[edit] Description
In Duke Nukem 3D and its ports, the player has a health counter, represented as a number normally between 0 and 100 (although it can go as high as 200). This number is often called a percentage because of this. The player begins an episode with 100 health, and dies if it reaches 0.
Health can be increased to as high as 200 by obtaining Atomic Health. This is the only item that can increase the player's health beyond 100. Any other health-restoring item or action can only restore health up to a maximum of 100.
Health can also be restored by specific actions, as well as by using items. For instance, drinking water from fountains or burst fire hydrants will also restore health, as will using a toilet (but only once per level).
Armor can be worn to prevent health from decreasing too quickly by attacks. Armor is rated in the same way as health; by a counter that ranges from 0 to 100 (but in this case, armor cannot be increased past 100). While worn, any damage taken is split between the player's health and armor values, with armor taking two thirds of the damage inflicted and health taking the remaining third.
Many consider armor to be nothing more than "secondary health", as it behaves just like an extra amount of health.
[edit] Health and armor items
[edit] Small Medkit | |
| A small white medical box with a red cross on the front.
It restores 10 health, up to a maximum of 100. | 
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[edit] Large Medkit | |
| A small white bottle with a red cross on the front.
It restores 30 health, up to a maximum of 100. | 
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[edit] Atomic Health | |
| A large atom comprised of red and blue nuclei, with three blue orbiting electrons.
It restores 50 health, up to a maximum of 200. | 
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[edit] Armor | |
| A grey set of torso armor.
It restores 100 armor, up to a maximum of 100. [edit] Used ArmorVisually identical to Armor, but can only be found as a droppable item by Pig Cops. Being "used" (i.e. the Pig Cop was wearing it when it was killed), it is only half as effective as regular armor. It restores 50 armor, up to a maximum of 100. | 
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[edit] Other recovery methods
- Drinking from any of the following:
- A water fountain (intact or broken) - restores 1 health per use, to a maximum of 100.
- A broken fire hydrant - restores 1 health per use, to a maximum of 100.
- A broken toilet - restores 1 health per use, to a maximum of 100.
- Using a toilet (only restores health the first time this is done per level) - restores 10 health per use, to a maximum of 100.
[edit] Trivia
- Health and armor carries over between levels, just like weapons and ammo. It is best to heal up as much as possible at the end of a level, so that the beginning of the next level doesn't threaten to almost immediately kill Duke with a surprise attack.
- Much humour can be derived from the fact that you can use a toilet to increase your health slightly, then break the toilet and drink from the resulting water jet to further heal yourself.
- When using a toilet, Duke's weapon lowers, the screen freezes for a second, and then a flush is heard along with an "Aah, much better!" from Duke. The flush sound occurs even if the toilet used was a urinal.
- Duke can use a toilet repeatedly, even though only the first time will benefit him. This gives the impression that... yeah.
- Duke can use a toilet during battle. This makes him either very confident, very stupid or very desperate.
- The game still continues for a moment after using an Exit Level Nuke (i.e. to allow time for the animation of Duke smashing it). During this time, it is possible for an enemy to continue shooting Duke and even to reduce his health to zero. However, the level will not be lost if this happens, meaning Duke can beat a level while technically dead.
- The next level is begun with the amount of health Duke had at the exact moment of using the Level Exit Nuke. Any damage taken after pressing "use" is ignored.
