> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gritlands.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Staying Alive: Energy, Health, and Risk in Gritlands

> Keep your energy up, manage your health, and learn exactly what you stand to lose — and what stays safe — when things go sideways in the Drains.

Gritlands won't hard-punish you for skipping lunch, but running your energy into the ground or charging unprepared into the Drains are two reliable ways to slow yourself down or lose something you worked hard for. Understanding how energy, health, and the knock-out system work — and what you actually risk in each area of the map — lets you push hard without walking into a loss you didn't see coming.

## Energy and Hunger

Gathering, fighting, and traveling all burn through your energy. Let it run low and your actions slow down, your output drops, and extended runs start to feel like wading through mud. The fix is simple: eat before you go out, and carry something to top up with when you're deep in a session.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Food Restores Energy" icon="drumstick-bite">
    Cook fish and other ingredients at a campfire or kitchen to make meals that restore a solid chunk of energy. Cooked food always beats raw — take the time to prep before a long run.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Drinks Give a Quick Top-Up" icon="mug-hot">
    Grab a Grit Cola or a coffee when you're already out and need a fast boost. They won't fill you up the way a proper meal does, but they'll keep you moving when it counts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Health and Getting Knocked Out

Health matters most in combat and in the Drains. Going down isn't instant death — it's a knock-out, and what you lose depends entirely on *where* it happens. Learn the zones and plan your loadout accordingly.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="On the Surface — Safe Areas">
    Surface areas like town streets, the Grit Lake shore, and Millside's neighborhoods carry no loot penalty. Get knocked out here and you wake up nearby having lost nothing more than a small amount of pocket change. Don't sweat it — get back up and carry on.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="In the Shallow Drains — Partial Risk">
    Some of what you're actively **carrying** can spill when you go down in the Shallow Drains, but your equipped gear and tools stay with you. Move quickly after you respawn and you can often run back and recover the spilled goods before someone else grabs them. [Risk & loot →](/gameplay/risk-and-loot)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="In the Deep Drains — Full Risk">
    The Deep Drains are full-loot territory. Go down here and everything you're carrying is fair game for whoever put you down or anyone else nearby. The rewards are the best in the game for exactly this reason — only bring what you're genuinely willing to lose, and never walk in with a full bag you can't afford to drop.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Warning>
  Your **stash** — stored at your tent or home — and your **worn outfit** are always completely safe, in every zone, no exceptions. The only things ever at risk are the items you're actively carrying, and only inside the Drains. Never leave for a risky run without pulling your valuables out of your pack first.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  Before any Deep Drains run, clear your pack down to just what you need for that specific run, and bank your CASH before you head in. The players who take the biggest losses are almost always the ones who got greedy and went in with a full inventory. Travel light, bank often, and the Drains become a money-maker rather than a money-pit.
</Tip>