House Rule - Long Term Injury Table

Archade

Azer Paladin
It's been a long time since I've been on the ENWorld boards. However, 5E has me really excited. I've been fiddling with systems to have a less 'rules-intrusive' system, and WOTC were kind enough to oblige me with 5E. I've bought the starter set and downloaded the basic rules.

However, healing all hit points by a long rest is the only rule I have an issue with -- I think there should be some lingering effects of damage, however, I don't think they need to be hit point-related, necessarily.

Here's what I've worked out so far -- I'd be interested in opinions or ideas ....

======================================

INJURIES

CRITICAL HITS – Gain an Impairment
(every non-permanent impairment can be removed with lesser restoration or a short rest)

1) Bleeding – lose 1 hp per turn (DC 15 Con Save each round to stop, DC 15 Medicine check to stop, or receive 1+ hit points healing)
2) Damaged Armor/Shield – AC -1 when using armor/shield until repaired (if reduced to 0 benefit the item is broken and useless)
3) Damaged Weapon – Damage -1 when using weapon until repaired (if reduced to 0 damage the weapon broken and useless)
4) Disoriented - Disadvantage to Intelligence-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 15 Int Save each round to remove)
5) Fumble – drop weapon
6) Hobbled – speed halved (DC 15 Dex Save each round to remove)
7) Knocked down – rendered prone
8) Knocked out – become unconscious (DC 15 Con save every round to wake up, DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check by ally to wake up)
9) Mighty Blow – move back 5 feet
10) Minor Wound – Disadvantage to Strength-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 15 Str Save each round to remove)
11) Off-Balance - Disadvantage to Dex-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 15 Dex Save each round to remove)
12) Out of Breath – can’t speak (DC 15 Con Save each round to remove)
13) Painful Blow - Disadvantage to Wisdom-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 15 Wis Save each round to remove)
14) Ringing Blow – deafened (DC 15 Wis Save each round to remove)
15) Stunned – gain stun condition and miss next turn
16) Traumatic Blow - Disadvantage to Charisma-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 15 Cha Save each round to remove)
17) Vision Obscured – everything has light cover (+2 to AC)
18) Wide Open – target is vulnerable to the next attack before their next turn
19) Winded – Disadvantage to Constitution-based checks/saves (DC 15 Con Save each round to remove)
20) GAIN INJURY (roll on the chart below)

FAIL ONE OR MORE DEATH SAVES – Gain an Injury upon regaining consciousness
(every non-permanent injury can be removed with lesser restoration or a week of bed rest)

1) Arm Injury – limb rendered useless (DC 20 Con Save each day to remove)
2) Blurred Vision – everything is lightly obscured (DC 20 Wis Save each day to remove)
3) Broken Bones – Disadvantage to Dex-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 20 Dex Save each day to remove)
4) Chronic Injury – lose 1d6 hit points every day (DC 20 Medicine check to remove, or receive 50+ hit points healing)
5) Comatose – incapacitated (DC 20 Wis check each day to remove)
6) Concussion – Disadvantage to Cha-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 20 Cha Save each day to remove)
7) Excruciating Wound – Disadvantage to Wis-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 20 Wis Save each day to remove)
8) In Shock – Disadvantage to Int-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 20 Int Save each day to remove)
9) Internal Injuries – gain a level of exhaustion (recover as normal)
10) Leg Injury – speed halved (DC 20 Dex Save each day to remove)
11) Lingering Injury – Disadvantage to Con-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 20 Con Save each day to remove)
12) Serious Wound – Disadvantage to Strength-based checks/saves/attacks (DC 20 Con Save each day to remove)
13) ???
14) ???
15) ???
16) ???
17) ???
18) ???
19) ???
20) Permanent Injury – roll on the table below
1) Head Injury – INT -1d3 (greater restoration to remove)
2) Lose an eye – Disadvantage of Wisdom (Perception) checks – blinded if second eye lost
3) Lose 1d3 fingers – DEX -1d3 (greater restoration to remove)
4) Broken/Severed/Incapacitated Arm – limb rendered useless (greater restoration to remove)
5) Broken/Severed/Incapacitated Leg – limb rendered useless (greater restoration to remove)
6) Chronic Injury – gain a level of exhaustion (lesser restoration to remove)
7) Lame – speed halved permanently (greater restoration to remove)
8) Scars/Disfigurement – CHA -1d3 (greater restoration to remove)
9) ??? – STR -1d3 (greater restoration to remove)
10) ??? – CON -1d3 (greater restoration to remove)
11) ??? – WIS -1d3 (greater restoration to remove)
12) ???
13) ???
14) ???
15) ???
16) ???
17) ???
18) ???
19) ???
20) ???
 

log in or register to remove this ad

I think this is too much of a penalty for Critical Hits. With confirmations of crits gone, crits happen too frequently. And expect to see mechanics that improve the chances of critical hits.

If you want long term injuries, consider adding them when a character fails Twice on their Death Saves. Three failures is death, as normal, but two failures mean the character survives, but must take a long-term injury. You could allow this injury to be able to be treated by a higher level cleric, or by finding a quest item (it's said a balm made from the glowing lichen on the peak of Ice Rim Mountains can heal the damage from frostbite, or a vial of tears from a Unicorn can stitch together broken bones). Just my opinion.
 

Hi Arjomanes,

What you say is valid -- however, criticals are not the deadly thing they used to be -- a critical with a longsword wielded by a mook will only be 4-5 more points of damage on average. That being said, a critical by an Ogre will be significantly more.

I'm still tweaking the chart below, and I'll run it in our first 5E game this Sunday, but most of the effects on the Critical chart are either highly circumstantial (disadvantage to Intelligence checks for a few rounds), or minor (bleeding 1 hp per round), or inconvenient (knocked prone), but add flavour. I may certainly tone these down. The actual long-term effects do come from failed death saves (mostly) on the second chart.

I'm all for quests for recipe bits, but I'd save that for the in-plot poisons, curses, and horrible side effects come from the Great Evil That Lives On The Mountain, or some such ...
 

Getting a jump on what WotC already said they were coming out with later (or at least something similar), eh?

I think it's a fine start, and adds a bit of flavor. Will up complication a bit, of course, as you will have to keep track when it happens to opponents as well as characters. And in a game sesh, characters are going to be facing the probability beast much more than the monsters, of course.

By merely doubling the dice, without setting a minimum, WotC really made erratic the effects of crits.
 

Remove ads

Top