Permanent wounds and scars ina realistic game.

[Albert_Fish]

As many of you might know i am using a mor lethal form of combat shooting for realism in a low magic world. So far so good. The combat works out well. i over powered the shields, and writing up the Adventure takes an hour or two longer.
Now i want to incorporate a sort of permanent scarring/wound chart. What wounds should i include? how shall i reflect them in mechanics terms? Is there a book of another system i should be looking at?

To take a permanent wound you must be brought to ZERO hitpoints. In my system you have vitality points ( your normal HD) and Hitpoints ( your CON score plus a few bonuses). Critical hits, Sneak attacks, and most Called Shots effect HP directly. once down to ZERO HP you would take a permanent wound/scar.

So how would you do this? Penalties on certain saves? skills? To Hit? Ability points?

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

I would have the player roll a fort save with DC equal to dmage delt by the last blow +20 or something like that. The severity of the injury is dependant on how much they fail the save by. Mist if the stuff on the charts I whipped up is probably useless, but the idea should serve you well.

Sucess: Superficial scar, no penalties.
Fail by 5 or less: Minor damage, roll a d4.
1: Foot hurt (move as if in armor 1 catagory heavier, if in heavy armor an additional -5 foot move)
2: Hand Hurt (-2 on all skills requiring fine manipulation, -2 to resist being disarmed)
3: Body Hurt (-1d6 max HP)
4: Head hurt (brain damage -2 to any 3 skills)

Fail by 6-10: Major damage, roll a d4
1: Leg crushed (1/2 movement, cannot run)
2: Arn damaged (-2 to all skills and attacks using that arm)
3: Major damage (-2 to random ability score)
4: Eye lost (-4 to spot, -2 to ranged attacks

Fail by 11+: Crippling damage, roll a d4
1: Leg lost (1/2 movement, bust use 1 arm to use a crutch or similar item to move)
2: Arm useless, (cannot use at all)
3: Head wound (-2 to all mental stats)
4: Body Crushed (-2 to all physical stats)

 

[Albert_Fish]

Good stuff, and i like your save mechanic and the progression. i might tweak this tomorrow at school ( so i dont have to listen about latin american politics).

i am still looking for ideas, so the rest of you dont get discouraged!

 

[dvvega]

Well I've never forced players to end up with injuries in D&D. The combat is abstract (no direct called shots etc).

I do however have a house/flavour rule that says that if your wounds heal naturally (by rest mainly) then you will heal with scars.

This grants a DM-based bonus/penalty (+/- 2) in certain societies that hate ugliness or reward battle scars.

I like things simlple essentially.

In your case, however, you want a table for everything. Why not use the old 2nd Edition Options Book (can't remember which) that had the critical tables in the back with all sorts of results, ranging from double damage to severing limbs and permanent injuries. It had saves linked with it.

Or you could have a go at converting old Rolemaster tables as well. They were as comprehensive as you can get.

 

[Drawmack]

I would simplify this as you are already using W/V which is bulky.

I would say that criticals stand a chance to scar.

Then make up a body diagram with 20 points on it.

On a critical the person gets a fort save of DC = Original Attack roll including all modifiers.

If the save is failed then you roll 1d20 and that's where they get the scar.

The really cool thing is you can have things like eyes, where if an eye gets scared they no longer have that eye and suffer certain detriments from the physical imparment.

 

[Valmur_Dwur]

Hello,

In the Dragon mag CD-ROM there is a Leomunds Tiny Hut article in the early issues 60-70's about this thing. Has a chart that I am working on modifing to fit into 3e. Anyway, just thought I would throw that out

Cheers!

 

[Albert_Fish]

I also want to incorporate a rule for infections and such. I dont mind the un-realism in combat ( magic and feats) but in HP and in death i would like a greater nod towards realism, if anything to scare players away from killing everything they should parlay with.

To this end i am planning on introducing "Complications of knocking on Deaths Door". Basically its harder to bind wounds, the possibility for infection, Shock and Gangrene.


Normal Stabilization = 10% chance per round or you lose one additional HP
New Stabilization = Con score% ONCE or lose one additional HP per round

If a 95% to 100% is rolled then the player sufferes from shock and loses double HP

Normal Heal Check to render First Aid= DC 15
New Heal Check to render First Aid= 15 + (number of HP below 0)

If failed by 5= minor infection, regains HP at half the normal rate ( which is per week, not "per day" in my campaign)
if Failed by 10= severe infection Cannot Regain any HP and the PCs pitiful suffereings lower the fellow PC's rolls by -1
if failed by 15= Severe Complications, Recipient dies.


Too rough? Not realistic enough? scary?

 

[dvvega]

Have you ever read the 1st Edition DMG ... it has some stuff on diseases etc in near the start of the book.

 

[Albert_Fish]

when i go back home i will check it out. Have not thought of diseases...yet.