Iodine Tablets

Iodine Tablets are a consumable item that partially protects against radiation by both reducing the amount of radiation a character receives and lowering the radiation already accumulated in their body. They are commonly found inside Medkits, and the Portal World "Rise" is the first world where Medkits respawn.

Iodine Tablets remove a fixed amount of accumulated radiation when used; they are capable of removing 10 rads. Because the first radiation warning debuff, Radiation Tingle, occurs at 6 rads, using a tablet immediately upon the tingle can waste some of its potential unless the player anticipates further exposure. The next stronger debuff, Radiation Sickness, does not appear until 35 rads, so timing a tablet to maximize the rads removed can be important, especially when you lack a handheld Geiger Counter to read accumulated rads. The Geiger Counter Keychain trinket only reports the current environmental rad rate and does not display the player’s accumulated radiation, so it does not help with timing consumption.

Iodine Tablets share their radiation-reduction effect with two other items:

• Pentetic Acid Syringes: craftable (requiring the First Aid 4 recipe), shelf-stable, but stack to 3.
• Green Fish Livers: obtained by catching and butchering Radfish; they provide a small amount of food, but they have a spoil timer and stack to 4.

Compared to those alternatives, Iodine Tablets generally:

• Stack to 5, the highest of the three, and are shelf-stable.
• Are typically only available in limited quantities through moderately uncommon Medkits rather than being directly craftable or harvestable.

R.A.I.N. Shower systems are another way to remove radiation: they consume water and power, remove all accumulated radiation, but are not field-usable and do not grant the Rad Resistant buff that some items provide.

Practical notes for use:

• Delay use until the tablet will remove as many excess rads as possible (for example, before crossing thresholds like 35 rads) unless immediate protection is necessary.
• Carry a handheld Geiger Counter when possible to check accumulated rads; do not rely on the Geiger Counter Keychain to read total exposure.
• Favor Iodine Tablets when inventory space and shelf stability matter; craft Pentetic Acid Syringes if you can and need repeatable access; use Green Fish Livers if you are fishing in radioactive zones and can accept spoilage and lower stack size.
• Keep in mind Medkits are the most reliable source in the field; plan routes through worlds with respawning Medkits (beginning with Rise) if you rely on looted stock.