Using the Disease Track for lasting injuries.

[Melkor]

Hi folks,

Do any of you use the Disease Track mechanic to simulate severe or lasting injuries to characters?

If so, how (exactly) do you implement this in your games with regards to healing/magical healing just "fixing it" during an extended rest?

Thanks!

 

[Scribble]

I thought about it, but never got around to actually creating a system and implementing it.

I was thinking that after a character was down, and failed his first death save there would be a chance for a lasting injury.

 

[Ajar]

I considered something similar to that, based on the Dragon Age wound system. If you're unconscious and making death saves, then:

• If you succeed on your first death save but roll less than 15, you awaken with a wound.
• If you succeed on your second death save but roll less than 16, you awaken with a wound.
• If you succeed on your third death save but roll less than 17, you awaken with a wound.

Wounds would be minor penalties just like in DA. -1 to attack rolls or to one defence, etc. Expanding that to the disease track concept could be interesting.

Edit: Encounter healing wouldn't be enough to remove a wound, but I never decided whether an extended rest would be good enough or whether special ritual/item healing would be required.

 

[P1NBACK]

I worked up an alternate Wound / Death Dying system that uses wounds-as-diseases type system.

Check it out here.

 

[Gold Roger]

I'm thinking about adding lasting injuries to my next campaign by giving some Opponents a special triggered encounter attack, that comes into effect when an attack crits, bloodies or puts a PC under 0 HP.

This hopefully ensures it's a rare event that only happens in important battles and doesn't disrupt gameplay to much, if I only give it to about 2 opponent each level (the effect still has to hit).

I didn't think about the disease track for that much, but think that's ideal for things like broken bones. I didn't use the track so far (I only played one campaign of about five sessions in 4th edition), but I'd be interested what ideas others have on using it like this.