D&D 4E Trauma and damage in 4e

[ardisian]

I really like what I see in 4E but in some games I run I would like to be able to introduce a greater level of threat in combat. I had a few ideas on this and was interested in other peoples take on my idea.

Trauma System
Keep track of every hit that deals more than 10 points of damage and for every critical hit (count critical hits twice if it also does more than 10 points of damage).

At the end of combat or when a character falls unconscious or is dying roll an attack vs. the characters Fortitude Defense. The attack is 1d20 + the number of hits over 10 damage and critical hits. On success the character suffers one level of trauma plus another level of trauma for every 5 points the attack succeeded by.

During combat the character’s adrenaline is pumping and is able to ignore most damage. Once the character stops the full extent of wounds received becomes apparent. Some wounds may be minor but some can be truly life threatening.

Trauma levels heal very slowly. The character can remove one trauma level every week. With full bed rest the character can remove two trauma levels every week. With a healers care a character can remove three trauma levels every week.

Trauma Levels
Level 1 take a -1 penalty to all rolls
Level 2 take a -2 penalty to all rolls
Level 3 take a -5 penalty to all rolls
Level 4 take a -10 penalty to all rolls
Level 5 becomes disabled and unable to move
Level 6 become dead
Let me know what you guys think.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Looks fine if you & your players want the extra work.

Personally I'm going with:

Did you get bloodied? What caused it? Could or should that be represented by some kind of wound? Can you come up with something clear that you like? Go for it.

Repeat with
Did you go negative? And suggest that the descriptive be a little more severe.

Then role-play the result, as well as taking into account:

Did you receive any treatment for the above? What kind?

Role-play the result.

Seems simple enough to me.

Fitz

 

[AndrewRogue]

So, you can be up, fine and dandy during combat but, as soon as it ends... there is the chance you could just flat out drop dead and not be able to do anything about it?

On the other side, you can get knocked out three or four times, almost die, get smacked up and down from 200 HP repeatedly and suffer absolutely no damage?

 

[Cadfan]

How will this interact with magical healing?

10 damage doesn't seem high enough. Even at level 1, many characters seemed to be doing 10 or more damage per hit with relative ease.

 

[Stalker0]

I would suggest sticking with the mechanics you have. For example, the bloodied mechanic already represents trauma. Keep in mind many creatures do extra damage to bloodied creatures, sometimes a LOT of damage!!

So stick with the bloodied mechanic, but throw this in:

"Whenever you suffer a critical hit or fall unconscious, lose a healing surge"

 

[mlund]

If you want a high-fatality game with wound rank penalties, may I suggest taking a look at Legend of the Five Rings or a similar system?

If you want to play D&D, though, you could scrounge up the old d30 issue of Armoury. It had critical hit tables for the d30 that were quite amusing, ranging from "skull crushed, instant death" to losing some teeth and Charisma points that go with it, or being hamstrung and losing Dex, etc.

If you really want physical trauma damage that reduces an adventurer's ability to do his job (swing swords, dodge breath weapons, and cast spells) just use Ability Score Damage.

- Marty Lund

 

[enigma5915]

I have been thinking along the same lines. I have a similar system for tracking "serious" wounds in 4E.

Hit points remain the same. I just add the following wound system to it.

First each character or creature has 10 "wound Points"

Any damage that equals or exceeds your constitution causes 1 wound. (If the hit causes enough to equal twice your con you suffer 2 wounds, and so on and so forth.)

Crits cause 1 additional wound.

For every 1 wound suffered the character has a -1 cumulative penalty on all D20 rolls.

For every 2 wounds suffered the character has a -5ft (or 1 square) to movement.

Once a character has lost all 10 wounds, they die!



Wounds can be recovered naturally at a rate of 1 / week of rest. Or magically by Cure moderate curing 1, cure serious curing 2, cure critical curing 3, and heal of course, curing all. This is of course depends on how the healing spells work in 4 E.

I am using it now in 3.5 and it is working.


END

 

[The Little Raven]

I'd go simpler if I wanted a 4e death spiral.

Healthy - 51-100% HP - No secondary effect.
Bloodied - 50% HP - Certain powers use the bloodied condition.
Wounded - 25% HP - -2 penalty to all attacks, skill checks, and Defenses.
Incapacitated - 0 HP - Sucks to be you.
Dying - -1 to -49% HP - Better call Miracle Max.
Dead - -50% HP - Go through his pockets for loose change.

It only really adds one additional "tier" (Wounded).

 

[HeinorNY]

Trauma Points

When you are unconscious and dying and fail a stabilization check you gain a trauma point. Each trauma point you have reduces your total number of healing surge uses by one. When your number of trauma points equals your Constitution score, you die. When you take an extended rest you lose one trauma point and regain one use of your healing surges.


Some healing rituals and special uses of the Heal skill allow you to heal trauma points at a faster rate.

 

[Andur]

You want trauma?

Every Crit does 1 point of CON damage as well.

Any hit that does more than your current CON does one point of CON damage, stacks with crits.

Get to 0 CON, you are dead...

Regain 1 point of CON per week naturally...

Can make it lowest ability score if you don't want players twinking CON...