Wounds & Conditions#
Wounds and conditions are most often associated with combat. Successful attacks will sometimes result in a wound or condition. When choosing a wound or condition that is the result of an attack, GMs must consider the type of attack being made, the type of damage being dealt, the combatants involved, and how far beyond the target the attack result was.
A wound is a physical injury, usually brought on by an attack or other damaging effect. Wounds may be received from any of three sources:
- When a character takes two or more VIT damage from a single attack
- Loss of a character’s final VIT point.
- Special effects such as abilities and environmental effects
A condition is part of a broad category of effects that can come from a variety of sources, including attacks, abilities, stress, VIT loss, and environment.
Wounds#
Every wound is classified as either minor or major based on the severity of the injury. The wound type (burn, fracture, laceration, etc.) describes what happened and guides the GM in choosing appropriate conditions. Any wound type can be minor or major — a shallow cut is a minor laceration, while a deep gash that nicks an artery is a major one. Shaken can be added to any wound to increase severity.
Wounds and Stress — Wounds cause characters to accumulate Stress quickly. Stress accumulated from wounds is only removed when specified, or when the wound has healed.
Dressing Wounds and AP — Wounds must be dressed to heal properly or remove adverse conditions. The action of dressing a wound can be divided into multiple rounds, however it must be done consecutively. If a round is skipped, you must restart and the supplies and KNO roll are wasted. The supplies are used when the action is started, and the KNO roll is made when half of the required AP have been committed.
Minor Wounds#
Minor wounds are painful and may cause complications if left untreated, but can be dressed relatively quickly.
Healing — Dressing a minor wound requires supplies from the medic kit and a target 8 KNO check for 4 AP. Once dressed, a minor wound heals in 1d4 days. When healed, the wound and any remaining associated conditions are removed.
Major Wounds#
Major wounds are serious injuries that demand more time and skill to treat. A dressed major wound still carries the risk of reopening — if the character uses 3 or more AP in a round, the wound’s associated conditions return and the wound must be redressed as if it were a new minor wound. Once half of the wound’s heal time has passed, a dressed major wound is treated as a minor wound for all purposes and no longer carries the risk of reopening.
The loss of a character’s final VIT point from a lethal attack or other damaging effect always delivers a Major Wound.
Healing — Dressing a major wound requires supplies from the medic kit and a target 12 KNO check for 8 AP. Once dressed, a major wound heals in 1d4+2 days.
Narrative Healing#
The heal times above represent when a wound no longer has a mechanical effect on gameplay — when conditions are removed and the risk of reopening has passed. In the narrative, full recovery often takes much longer. A fracture that is mechanically healed after a week may realistically take months to fully mend. A character might favor a previously injured limb, wince at sudden movements, or bear visible scarring long after the wound has stopped affecting their rolls. GMs and players are encouraged to carry these details forward as flavor even after the mechanical effects have ended.
Wound Types#
The following wound types describe common injuries. Each can be minor or major depending on severity. The GM chooses the wound type based on the source of the damage and assigns conditions accordingly. Major wounds should always be given when a character loses their final VIT point from a lethal damaging effect.
| Wound Type | Minor Example | Major Example | Common Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burn | Surface burn, mild chemical exposure | Deep tissue burn, severe chemical exposure | +1 Stress until dressed |
| Contusion | Severe bruise, bruised rib | Deep tissue damage, internal bleeding | Crippled |
| Dislocation | Dislocated finger or wrist | Dislocated shoulder, hip, knee, or elbow | Crippled or Restrained |
| Fracture | Hairline fracture, cracked rib | Compound fracture, shattered bone | Shaken, +1 Stress — may add Bleeding, Crippled, or Confused |
| Laceration | Shallow cut, minor slash wound | Deep gash, severed tissue | Bleeding |
| Puncture | Grazing stab, shallow impalement | Deep stab, organ or artery damage | Bleeding |
| Sprain | Twisted ankle, pulled muscle | Torn ligament, severe hyperextension | Crippled or Restrained |
Burn
Burn#
Effect — Caused by exposure to heat, cold, or chemicals. Burns cause painful tissue damage that often results in scarring. All burns cause +1 Stress until the burn has been dressed. Major burns may cover large areas and cause significant ongoing pain.
Contusion
Contusion#
Effect — Contusions are bruises caused by blunt force. Minor contusions are painful but manageable and can be treated with ice or compression from the medic kit. Major contusions involve deep tissue damage or internal bleeding and require drainage or specialized compression to prevent further complications.
Dislocation
Dislocation#
Effect — A joint forced out of place by impact or strain. Minor dislocations affect smaller joints like fingers and wrists. Major dislocations involve shoulders, elbows, hips, or knees and are far more debilitating. Dislocated legs and hips cause the crippled condition, while dislocated arms and shoulders cause the restrained condition for that limb.
Patient FORT Check — When a dislocation is being set, the character whose joint is being reset must succeed on a target 4 FORT check or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. The sudden pain of a joint being manipulated back into place can overwhelm the body’s ability to cope.
Fracture
Fracture#
Effect — Broken or cracked bones from heavy impact. All fractures cause the shaken condition and +1 Stress. Severe or major fractures can cause bleeding. Depending on where on the body the fracture occurs, it may also be accompanied by crippled or confused. Improperly healed fractures can limit mobility and cause permanent damage.
Patient FORT Check — When a fracture is being set and dressed, the character whose fracture is being treated must succeed on a target 6 FORT check or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. Bone setting is intensely painful and can trigger the body to shut down.
Laceration
Laceration#
Effect — Tears and cuts in the skin caused by bladed or jagged sources. Minor lacerations are shallow and manageable. Major lacerations cut deep into tissue, risk severing tendons or blood vessels, and often result in scarring. Lacerations cause the bleeding condition.
Puncture
Puncture#
Effect — Wounds from piercing attacks that cut into the flesh. Minor punctures are shallow but painful. Major punctures reach deep enough to risk injury to arteries and organs. Puncture wounds cause the bleeding condition.
Sprain
Sprain#
Effect — Damaged muscles and ligaments from overextension or impact. Minor sprains involve mild stretching or small tears. Major sprains involve torn ligaments or severe hyperextension that significantly limits mobility. Sprains to the lower body are accompanied by the crippled condition, while sprains to the upper body cause the restrained condition for the affected limb.
Common Injuries#
While this is by no means a definitive list, the following chart provides examples of common injuries and their resulting wounds. The GM decides whether a wound is minor or major based on the circumstances — the weapon used, the margin of success on the attack, the narrative context, and how dangerous the encounter should feel. When a wound needs to be particularly serious, additional effects can be added by stacking on additional stress or conditions. Doing so should be reserved for extreme or dramatic cases.
| Damaging Effect | Typical Wound Types | Common Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Stabbed, shot, or slashed (physical) | Puncture, Laceration | Bleeding |
| Bashed, struck with a blunt object (physical) | Contusion, Dislocation, Fracture | Shaken, Crippled |
| Thrown or pushed, knocked prone (physical) | Contusion, Fracture, Sprain | Shaken, Crippled |
| Struck on the head (physical) | Contusion, Laceration, Fracture | Bleeding, Confused, Shaken |
| Set on fire, struck with flaming weapon (burn) | Burn | Shaken |
| Electrocuted (shock) | Burn | Shaken |
| Toxic fumes (toxin) | — | Asphyxiating, Sick, Fatigued |
Conditions#
Conditions alter how your character is able to act. Most provide penalties or some other negative effects. This is not a definitive list and you may find you have need of other conditions in your game. If so, it is best to handle each with common sense and consistency.
Conditions and Stress — Many conditions cause a character to accumulate Stress. Stress accumulated from conditions is not healed or reset by removing a condition unless specified.
Conditions and Combat — Conditions that often grant an advantage to attackers are marked with Δ.
| Condition | Effect Summary | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Asphyxiating | FORT checks each turn or fall unconscious — 1 VIT/round if unconscious | Until able to breathe |
| Bleeding | Blood die at end of turn — 3 or lower deals 1 VIT, die shrinks | Until wound is dressed |
| Confused | -2 Mental Attributes, -1 AP/round, +1 Stress | 2d6 rounds |
| Crippled Δ | All speeds -10, +1 Stress if using 3+ AP | Until wound is healed |
| Dying Δ | FORT check each turn (starts at 3, +1/round) — failure or damage means death | Until healed, or death |
| Fatigued Δ | -2 STR, AGI, and DEX, -2 AP/round | Until rested |
| Frightened | -2 INS, +1 Stress | Until removed from cause |
| Immobilized Δ | Cannot take physical actions — DEX and AGI treated as null | Cause specific |
| Pinned | Only physical action is to escape the pin | See Grapple |
| Restrained [___] Δ | Physical actions limited — affected limb unusable | Until cause is removed |
| Shaken | -1 to all decision rolls, -2 max DEF, +1 Stress | 1d4+1 rounds |
| Sick Δ | 2+ AP/round requires target 10 FORT or retch for 1d4-1 rounds, +1 Stress | 1d4 rounds |
| Stressed | Cannot use Luck, -1 to all decision rolls per point over threshold | Until stress drops below threshold |
| Unconscious Δ | Cannot take any actions — attackers gain advantage and surprise | Cause specific |
Asphyxiating
Asphyxiating#
Effect — When a character cannot breathe or chooses to hold their breath, they must make a FORT check at the beginning of each of their turns to prevent unconsciousness. The target starts at 3 and increases by +1 each round. This continues until the character resumes breathing or fails a FORT check. Failing the FORT check causes immediate unconsciousness. A character that remains unconscious and asphyxiating at the beginning of their next turn continues to make FORT checks, and the target number continues to increase each round. Failed FORT checks from unconscious asphyxiating characters cause 1 VIT damage.
Duration — Until the character is able to breathe normally.
Healing — Automatically ends when the character is able to breathe normally.
Bleeding
Bleeding#
Effect — Some wounds bleed profusely without attention. Usually paired with a laceration or puncture, bleeding causes VIT loss over time. A character that is bleeding at the end of their turn rolls a blood die. If the result is a 3 or lower they take one VIT damage and their blood die decreases one size. Blood dice start as d8, and decrease to d6 upon the first VIT damage and d4 upon the second. (Further failures do not continue to lower the die size.) Blood die size only resets once the bleeding condition is removed. It is possible to gain the bleeding condition from multiple sources. If this happens one blood die is used and it is rolled however many times they have the bleeding condition.
Duration — Until associated wound is dressed.
Healing — A bleeding wound can be dressed with supplies from the med kit and a target 8 KNO check. Alternatively, a character can apply pressure to a bleeding wound for 2 AP and pause the bleeding effect for that round.
Example — Multiple Bleeding Wounds: Frankus has two bleeding puncture wounds. At the end of his turn he rolls his d8 blood die twice. For the first roll he lands a three, causing one point of VIT damage and his die to be lowered to a d6. When he makes his second roll with the d6, he lands a 5 and his turn ends without taking further bleed damage.
Confused
Confused#
Effect — The mind is scrambled and hard to focus. This can be caused by mind-altering effects or being struck on the head. -2 KNO, INS, and CHA, -1 AP per round, +1 Stress.
Duration — 2d6 rounds if not specified.
Crippled Δ
Crippled Δ#
Effect — Usually a result of injury to the lower body or general physical trauma. All speeds reduced by -10. Anytime your character uses 3 or more AP they gain +1 Stress. A crippled character’s movement is visibly impaired — they limp, stagger, or drag themselves along.
Duration — Until associated wound is healed.
Healing — Accumulated stress caused by overworking while crippled is removed with 1hr of rest.
Dying Δ
Dying Δ#
Effect — An unfortunate, close to death state almost always caused by direct injury. The dying condition occurs when a character loses their last VIT point to lethal damage. A dying character immediately falls unconscious and must succeed on a FORT check immediately as well as at the beginning of each subsequent turn. The target begins at 3 and increases by +1 after each success. If the character fails this FORT check or takes additional damage, the character dies. Asphyxiating characters who gain the dying condition are always at a disadvantage.
Duration — Until healed, or death.
Healing — The dying condition can be removed by another character with a use of the Medic Kit and a successful target 10 KNO roll by stablizing the patient. If it is removed in this way, the character recovers 1 VIT. Other wounds and conditions must be healed separately.
Fatigued Δ
Fatigued Δ#
Effect — The body is tired and actions become sluggish and more difficult to perform. -2 to STR, AGI, and DEX, -2 AP per round.
Duration — Until rested.
Healing — The fatigued condition can be removed with 1hr of rest.
Frightened
Frightened#
Effect — Fear takes over fully, often accompanied by or following the shaken condition. -2 INS, +1 Stress.
Duration/Healing — The frightened condition can usually be removed when the victim is removed from the vicinity of the cause of the condition.
Immobilized Δ
Immobilized Δ#
Effect — The body is completely unable to move. Though not unconscious, an immobilized character cannot take any physical actions. DEX and AGI are treated as null, attackers gain advantage and may make surprise attacks even if they normally would not be able to.
Duration/Healing — Cause specific.
Pinned
Restrained [___] Δ
Restrained [___] Δ#
Effect — The restrained condition limits physical actions involving the affected body part. It can be caused by external restraints (rope, cuffs, bindings) or by wounds (dislocations, severe sprains) that render a limb unusable. The label in brackets identifies what is restrained — for example, Restrained [Left Arm] or Restrained [Legs].
A restrained limb cannot be used to make attacks, hold or manipulate items, or perform actions that require that limb. A character with a restrained arm cannot use two-handed weapons or items requiring both hands. A character with restrained legs has their speeds reduced to 0 but may still crawl at half their base speed.
When caused by external restraints, the specific limitations depend on the type of equipment used. When caused by a wound, the condition persists until the wound is dressed.
Shaken
Shaken#
Effect — Can be caused when something shocking happens, whether mentally, emotionally, or physically such as fear or damage. -1 to all decision rolls, -2 max DEF, +1 Stress.
Duration — Penalties to decision rolls and DEF last for 1d4+1 rounds unless specified. Stress from the shaken condition lasts until rested and can be accumulated from multiple instances.
Healing — While the penalties from shaken last only a few rounds, the stesss accumulated is only healed with a rest.
Sick Δ
Sick Δ#
Effect — Occurs when a character witnesses or engages in something particularly disgusting or disturbing, by upset stomach, poisoning, or general discomfort and grossness. Using 2 or more AP per round requires success on a target 10 FORT check. Failure causes the character to fall to their knees retching for 1d4-1 rounds (min 1) and gain +1 Stress. During these rounds, attackers gain advantage. Stress can be gained multiple times from a single sick condition.
Duration — 1d4 rounds if not specified, sometimes longer if retching.
Healing — Stress gained from the sick condition can be removed with an hour of rest.
Stressed
Stressed#
Effect — Characters can only take so much stress before it starts to affect their performance. When a character’s stress level reaches their threshold, they gain the stressed condition. Stressed characters cannot use Luck or Luck related features — their effective Luck is considered 0 — until the Stressed condition is removed. A character can accumulate stress beyond their threshold. For each point of stress a character accumulates beyond their threshold they take a -1 penalty to all decision rolls.
Duration/Healing — The stressed condition ends when a character’s stress is lowered below their stress threshold. Temporary changes to stress can also remove the stressed condition for their duration.
Unconscious Δ
Unconscious Δ#
Effect — Occurs when a character loses consciousness. Nothing works, body or mind. All attreibutes are considered 0 until the character regains consciousness, and they cannot take any actions. Unconsciousness can happen from a variety of effects, including attribute or VIT damage. Unconscious charactwrs with 0 VIT who take further VIT damage gain the dying condition. Attacks against unconscious characters gain advantage and count as surprise attacks.
Duration/Healing — Cause specific. If at 0 VIT, unconsciousness lasts until at least 1 VIT is restored. Unconscious characters with VIT remaining can be woken up by another for 2 AP.