ericgrau
2009-05-22, 03:43 PM
These rules are designed to add flavor while having only a minor mechanical impact on the current combat. They were inspired by OotS #655.
Lethal damage from a single attack equal to 1/3 the target's max HP causes a minor special effect. You might also use 1/2 the target's max HP or whatever. I didn't say "critical hit", because I figure you'll only want to pay attention to crits that deal massive damage anyway (and many will). Roll 1d6 for the affected body part, counting from top to bottom and left to right (head, left arm, torso, right arm, left leg, right leg). The type of effect is divided into two situations:
1. Target is still alive (whether conscious or not): Target loses a minor body part such as an eye, nose or finger. This has little or no mechanical impact. In rare cases he might lose both eyes, an entire hand, etc., causing more significant penalties. Either way, a regenerate spell repairs the damage.
2. Target killed: Target loses a more major body part, such as an arm or jaw, and often a great deal of blood. In rare cases he might lose a head, obliterate a vital organ he cannot live without, etc., making resurrection more difficult. In the first case a regenerate spell may be used after the character is raised. In the second case the improved form of resurrection regenerates the damage.
The specifics are up to the DM. A slashing weapon might decapitate while a bludgeoning weapon crushes the skull or a fireball melts skin off the bones. The DM may arbitrarily pick a body part without rolling, or ignore the rule entirely whenever he thinks it's inconvenient. "Rare cases" might be 2/3 of the target's HP, being dropped deep into the negatives, or etc., as determined beforehand by the DM.
Lethal damage from a single attack equal to 1/3 the target's max HP causes a minor special effect. You might also use 1/2 the target's max HP or whatever. I didn't say "critical hit", because I figure you'll only want to pay attention to crits that deal massive damage anyway (and many will). Roll 1d6 for the affected body part, counting from top to bottom and left to right (head, left arm, torso, right arm, left leg, right leg). The type of effect is divided into two situations:
1. Target is still alive (whether conscious or not): Target loses a minor body part such as an eye, nose or finger. This has little or no mechanical impact. In rare cases he might lose both eyes, an entire hand, etc., causing more significant penalties. Either way, a regenerate spell repairs the damage.
2. Target killed: Target loses a more major body part, such as an arm or jaw, and often a great deal of blood. In rare cases he might lose a head, obliterate a vital organ he cannot live without, etc., making resurrection more difficult. In the first case a regenerate spell may be used after the character is raised. In the second case the improved form of resurrection regenerates the damage.
The specifics are up to the DM. A slashing weapon might decapitate while a bludgeoning weapon crushes the skull or a fireball melts skin off the bones. The DM may arbitrarily pick a body part without rolling, or ignore the rule entirely whenever he thinks it's inconvenient. "Rare cases" might be 2/3 of the target's HP, being dropped deep into the negatives, or etc., as determined beforehand by the DM.