Using a resource many of the excellent ideas about critical hits I've seen on this board, I've created a new system. It makes combat significantly more dangerous, but them's the breaks.
Sorry for the formatting errors, as I'm cutting and pasting.
Let me know what you think
- DMW -
_____________________________________
GRIEVOUS CRITICAL WOUNDS
The system below replaces the standard procedure for resolving critical threats and critical hits. Every successful hit has a chance of causing critical or grievous damage, regardless of whether the attack roll falls within the attack’s critical threat range. To determine if a successful hit is standard, critical or grievous, roll a d20 and consult the Wound Severity Chart. This roll is modified by the attack’s critical threat range as per the table below.
Critical Threat Range Wound Severity Table Modifier
------------------------ -------------------------------------
20 + 0
19 - 20 + 1
18 - 20 + 2
17 - 20 + 3
16 - 20 + 4
15 - 20 + 5
WOUND SEVERITY TABLE
D20 Roll Severity of Hit Effect
--------- ----------------- ---------
01 – 10 Standard Standard damage only
11 – 15 Critical Damage x critical multiplier
16 – 20 Grievous Damage x critical multiplier;
Roll on the Grievous Wound
Table
GRIEVOUS WOUND TABLE
D20 Roll Hit Location Wound Effects
----------- ------------- ------------------
01 – 04 Leg Loss of Dexterity bonus to DV;
Base movement –10’; Bleeding
05 – 08 Arm Attack rolls –2; Skills that suffer an
armor check penalty –5; Bleeding
09 – 18 Torso Bleeding
19 – 20 Head Blinded (see the Blinded Condition
below); Bleeding
The victim of a Grievous Wound rolls a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Damage/2). Success means the Wound Effects last 1d3 + 1 rounds and bloodloss is purely cosmetic. Failure means bloodloss is severe, and the Wound Effects persist until the victim receives the benefit of long-term care (see the Heal skill). Failing the save with a roll of 1 means the Wound Effects are permanent. Similarly, the Wound Effects become permanent if attempts to provide the victim long-term care with the Heal skill fail more than once, or if the victim fails to receive long-term care (successful or not) within 24 hours of suffering the Grievous Wound.
A victim suffering severe bloodloss as a result of a Grievous Wound suffers 1 point of Constitution damage every other round (see Ability Score Loss and Healing). Severe bloodloss can be treated with a Heal check (DC 15) as a standard action. Bloodloss need not always be interpreted literally, and can represent internal injuries or other server trauma.
Grievous Wounds from bludgeoning attacks knock the victim back 5’ and leave him prone.
Grievous Wounds from slashing attacks bleed at twice the normal rate.
Grievous Wounds from piercing attacks leave the attacker’s weapon impaled in the victim’s body. The victim suffers the weapon’s base damage each round until the weapon is removed with a Strength check (DC 10).
To expedite combat, the Games Master may rule that any insignificant NPC suffering a Grievous Wound is too badly wounded to continue fighting. The character that inflicted the wound may choose whether the NPC is crippled, incapacitated, unconscious or dead.
A character may spend 1 Fate Point to cancel or end any Wound Effects caused by one or more Grievous Wounds.
A character with the Disabling Strike feat (see Road of Kings) need not roll on the Grievous Wound table. He may choose the Hit Location of his attack.
Optionally, reroll results of 01 – 04 on the Grievous Wound table if the attack comes from above.
Optionally, reroll results of 17 – 20 on the Grievous Wound table if the attack comes from below.
When a random limb is struck, an odd roll indicates the left limb, while an even roll indicates the right limb.
BLINDED CONDITION
--------------------------
The character cannot see. He takes a –2 penalty to DV, loses his Dexterity bonus to DV (if any), moves at half speed, and takes a –4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) to the blinded character. Characters who remain blinded for a long time may learn to compensate for their handicap.
Sorry for the formatting errors, as I'm cutting and pasting.
Let me know what you think
- DMW -
_____________________________________
GRIEVOUS CRITICAL WOUNDS
The system below replaces the standard procedure for resolving critical threats and critical hits. Every successful hit has a chance of causing critical or grievous damage, regardless of whether the attack roll falls within the attack’s critical threat range. To determine if a successful hit is standard, critical or grievous, roll a d20 and consult the Wound Severity Chart. This roll is modified by the attack’s critical threat range as per the table below.
Critical Threat Range Wound Severity Table Modifier
------------------------ -------------------------------------
20 + 0
19 - 20 + 1
18 - 20 + 2
17 - 20 + 3
16 - 20 + 4
15 - 20 + 5
WOUND SEVERITY TABLE
D20 Roll Severity of Hit Effect
--------- ----------------- ---------
01 – 10 Standard Standard damage only
11 – 15 Critical Damage x critical multiplier
16 – 20 Grievous Damage x critical multiplier;
Roll on the Grievous Wound
Table
GRIEVOUS WOUND TABLE
D20 Roll Hit Location Wound Effects
----------- ------------- ------------------
01 – 04 Leg Loss of Dexterity bonus to DV;
Base movement –10’; Bleeding
05 – 08 Arm Attack rolls –2; Skills that suffer an
armor check penalty –5; Bleeding
09 – 18 Torso Bleeding
19 – 20 Head Blinded (see the Blinded Condition
below); Bleeding
The victim of a Grievous Wound rolls a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Damage/2). Success means the Wound Effects last 1d3 + 1 rounds and bloodloss is purely cosmetic. Failure means bloodloss is severe, and the Wound Effects persist until the victim receives the benefit of long-term care (see the Heal skill). Failing the save with a roll of 1 means the Wound Effects are permanent. Similarly, the Wound Effects become permanent if attempts to provide the victim long-term care with the Heal skill fail more than once, or if the victim fails to receive long-term care (successful or not) within 24 hours of suffering the Grievous Wound.
A victim suffering severe bloodloss as a result of a Grievous Wound suffers 1 point of Constitution damage every other round (see Ability Score Loss and Healing). Severe bloodloss can be treated with a Heal check (DC 15) as a standard action. Bloodloss need not always be interpreted literally, and can represent internal injuries or other server trauma.
Grievous Wounds from bludgeoning attacks knock the victim back 5’ and leave him prone.
Grievous Wounds from slashing attacks bleed at twice the normal rate.
Grievous Wounds from piercing attacks leave the attacker’s weapon impaled in the victim’s body. The victim suffers the weapon’s base damage each round until the weapon is removed with a Strength check (DC 10).
To expedite combat, the Games Master may rule that any insignificant NPC suffering a Grievous Wound is too badly wounded to continue fighting. The character that inflicted the wound may choose whether the NPC is crippled, incapacitated, unconscious or dead.
A character may spend 1 Fate Point to cancel or end any Wound Effects caused by one or more Grievous Wounds.
A character with the Disabling Strike feat (see Road of Kings) need not roll on the Grievous Wound table. He may choose the Hit Location of his attack.
Optionally, reroll results of 01 – 04 on the Grievous Wound table if the attack comes from above.
Optionally, reroll results of 17 – 20 on the Grievous Wound table if the attack comes from below.
When a random limb is struck, an odd roll indicates the left limb, while an even roll indicates the right limb.
BLINDED CONDITION
--------------------------
The character cannot see. He takes a –2 penalty to DV, loses his Dexterity bonus to DV (if any), moves at half speed, and takes a –4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) to the blinded character. Characters who remain blinded for a long time may learn to compensate for their handicap.