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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickbeam" data-source="post: 20373" data-attributes="member: 635">How about...Now I see three remaining issues of focus and concern:-- Fairness vs. reality as they relate to which body part is struck in combat.-- Are the recovery periods/lasting damage effects overly harsh?-- Does a system of critical effects such as this ruin weapon choice and balance?Here are my answers and possible solutions:1) Offer two options, one which favors realism and more damaging effects based on a larger number of head and torso blows, and one which minimizes the chances of such areas being struck.  This is more labor intensive for you DnDChick, but it may satisfy the needs/wants of more gaming groups.2) I think that months of recovery time is overly harsh, especially since you have the stages of recuperation stacked.  Unless a limb is lost, an eye is blinded, or a major organ's function diminshed, I'd ease up a bit.  I can't offer a more constructive means of listing recovery time or penalties, but I think you're a fair-minded gal whose entirely capable of tweaking this on your own <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> .  I also tend to agree with those that feel administering magical healing to a severaly wounded character would diminish or eradicate these effects.3) How's this for a solution to my own reservations -- the critical effects tables apply only when a natural 20 is rolled, regardless of the weapon used during the attack.  Any threat that isn't the result of a natural 20, deals damage per the PHB.  This simple fix completely erases two concerns posted herein:First, it leads to fewer critical effects rolls overall, and thereby diminishes occurences of unfortunate PC death and dismemberment.And second, it maintains the weapon balance intended by our wise game designers <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> !!  Rapiers will still be more likely than Heavy Flails to deal extra damage based on their higher threat range, but they will be less likely to deal critical effect damage b/c the DC for their saving throws will be lower.</blockquote>

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