Mercenary Pen
2009-01-12, 12:27 PM
Okay, I've been musing about this for a while and a comment in WotC's D&D podcast about how damage can easily be over-represented spurred me to take action.
My quandary: If HP and healing surges are accepted to represent a character's resolve to keep fighting, rather than what damage they have taken, how then should serious injuries be represented?
My solution: Injury as an affliction
1- Major injuries will be represented as their own specific conditions, curable by a Heal check using divine healing, an Endurance check from a creature with regeneration (who must be the creature suffering from the affliction in question), or the use of the remove affliction ritual.
1a- If the DM considers it appropriate, these afflictions may also be cured as part of the Raise Dead ritual.
2- Major injuries will only be bestowed when a PC or monster makes a critical hit- but then, the DM or the player has free choice over which, if any conditions are imposed.
3- Each affliction will have a mechanical impact, but one which still allows the character to rest to full HP.
Sample afflictions thus far are as follows:
Loss of (use of) fingers: Your fingers are chopped off or broken, and the attacker chooses which hand is affected. The victim takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls with a weapon or implement in the affected hand, and a -1 penalty to damage rolls with unarmed attacks. This condition can be stacked up to a maximum -3 penalty on each hand- all severed fingers can be re-attached at once with appropriate healing.
Loss of (use of) a hand: Your hand is chopped off or broken, and the attacker determines which hand is affected. The victim loses the ability to wield 2-handed weapons, or carry anything with the affected hand. If the victim takes this affliction twice, they lose the ability to access anything in their magic item hands slot.
Loss of (use of) an arm: See loss of a hand, but substitute arm in place the word hand. If the shield arm if affected, they lose the use of the shield in that arm immediately. If this condition is applied twice, the victim loses access to their hands and arms magic item slots.
I'm still working on the following:
loss of (use of) a foot
loss of (use of) a leg
loss of (use of) an eye
loss of (use of) an ear
loss of (use of) a nose
castration
severe blood loss
miscellaneous broken bones
leaking innards
Any and all assistance would be appreciated.
My quandary: If HP and healing surges are accepted to represent a character's resolve to keep fighting, rather than what damage they have taken, how then should serious injuries be represented?
My solution: Injury as an affliction
1- Major injuries will be represented as their own specific conditions, curable by a Heal check using divine healing, an Endurance check from a creature with regeneration (who must be the creature suffering from the affliction in question), or the use of the remove affliction ritual.
1a- If the DM considers it appropriate, these afflictions may also be cured as part of the Raise Dead ritual.
2- Major injuries will only be bestowed when a PC or monster makes a critical hit- but then, the DM or the player has free choice over which, if any conditions are imposed.
3- Each affliction will have a mechanical impact, but one which still allows the character to rest to full HP.
Sample afflictions thus far are as follows:
Loss of (use of) fingers: Your fingers are chopped off or broken, and the attacker chooses which hand is affected. The victim takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls with a weapon or implement in the affected hand, and a -1 penalty to damage rolls with unarmed attacks. This condition can be stacked up to a maximum -3 penalty on each hand- all severed fingers can be re-attached at once with appropriate healing.
Loss of (use of) a hand: Your hand is chopped off or broken, and the attacker determines which hand is affected. The victim loses the ability to wield 2-handed weapons, or carry anything with the affected hand. If the victim takes this affliction twice, they lose the ability to access anything in their magic item hands slot.
Loss of (use of) an arm: See loss of a hand, but substitute arm in place the word hand. If the shield arm if affected, they lose the use of the shield in that arm immediately. If this condition is applied twice, the victim loses access to their hands and arms magic item slots.
I'm still working on the following:
loss of (use of) a foot
loss of (use of) a leg
loss of (use of) an eye
loss of (use of) an ear
loss of (use of) a nose
castration
severe blood loss
miscellaneous broken bones
leaking innards
Any and all assistance would be appreciated.