Severe Injuries Variant [3.5/Pathfinder], now with 150% more dismemberment!

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

This variant rule is entirely opt-in. It lets PCs choose to survive longer in combat at the expense of crippling, possibly permanent injury. Players who don't want to play maimed characters can choose to take damage instead, or retire their PCs if too many injuries accumulate.

Variant Rule: Severe Injuries

Anytime a PC takes damage he may choose to do one of the following:

• Reduce the damage by half.
• Subtract enough damage to leave the PC at 1 hp. (Obviously, this should only be chosen when an attack will reduce the PC to negative hit points.)

Instead of hit point damage the PC receives some kind of crippling injury based on how much damage was negated. Refer to the table below for the amount of damage and roll a d6.

The character then receives a specific injury from the table below.

{table=head]d6 | Location | 1-5 damage | 6-10 damage | 11-15 damage | 16-20 damage | 21+ damage
1 | Torso | staggered for 1d4 minutes | -2 to attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks | -4 to attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks | DC 20 Fortitude save each round or be stunned | DC 20 Fortitude save each round or be stunned, death after 3 failed saves
2 | Right Arm | cannot use hand for 1 round and drop held weapons | -2 penalty to attack rolls and 20% spell failure chance with one hand, shield bonus (if any) halved | arm becomes useless | arm becomes useless, lost arm/hand in 1d4 minutes | lost arm/hand and 1d4 bleed
3 | Left Arm | ditto | ditto | ditto | ditto | ditto
4 | Right Leg | move speed reduced by 5 feet | move speed halved, -2 penalty to AC, cannot run or charge | forced prone and cannot stand without a crutch | forced prone, lost foot/leg in 1d4 minutes | lost foot/leg and 1d4 bleed
5 | Left Leg | ditto | ditto | ditto | ditto | ditto
6 | Head | deafness for 1d4 hours | blindness for 1d4 rounds | lose an eye (-2 to attack and Perception) or permanent deafness | permanent blindness or deafness | snicker-snack
- | Heal DC | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 40
- | Recovery | 1d4 minutes | 1d4 hours | 1d4 days | 1d4 weeks | 1d4 months
[/table]

If an injury is treated with the listed Heal check, the penalties persist for the listed recovery time. If an injured character receives magical healing after the Heal check he recovers in the minimum amount of time. Any injury that progresses to a lost limb or death is stabilized by magical healing, but the penalties persist. A regenerate spell can instantly heal any injury except beheading.

Nonlethal damage works differently. Each time a character chooses to reduce nonlethal damage he must make a Fortitude save (DC 5 + damage reduced) or be knocked unconscious.

If a wound goes untreated by magical healing or a successful Heal check, it risks infection.

Infection: Incubation: 1 day. Save DC is equal to the DC for healing the affected injury. 1d4 Constitution. Cure: 3 consecutive saves. Can be cured with a DC 15 Heal check by amputation if the afflicted area is an extremity.

[Amechra]

I think it would be a bit better to weight the table, so that you didn't have an equal chance of losing a hand and your bloody head.

[Cespenar]

I think it would be a bit better to weight the table, so that you didn't have an equal chance of losing a hand and your bloody head.

This. Something like the following may be in order:

Roll 1d20:

1-2: Head
3-5: L Arm
6-8: R Arm
9-11: L Leg
12-14: R Leg
15-20: Torso

[Amechra]

Also, you might want to scale up the amount of damage needed to inflict each effect. 42 damage is not that hard to inflict by, say, 7th level if you know what you are doing.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Also, you might want to scale up the amount of damage needed to inflict each effect. 42 damage is not that hard to inflict by, say, 7th level if you know what you are doing.

This. Something like the following may be in order:

Roll 1d20:

1-2: Head
3-5: L Arm
6-8: R Arm
9-11: L Leg
12-14: R Leg
15-20: Torso

Good ideas, I'm going to think on these. I'll probably go with the body part table you used (10% head, 15% per limb, 30% torso). I'll have to make damage scale logarithmicaly, and the instant-death injuries should start just at the massive damage threshold of 50.

[HawaiianBrian]

Better yet, something with a curve...

Roll 2d6
2: Head
3: Left Leg
4: Right Leg
5 - 9: Torso
10 - 11: "Off arm"
11 - 12: "Sword arm"

("Sword arm" means the one most often used. Ambidextrous characters are at an advantage here.)



Even better yet:

Roll 2d6. If both dice show the same number, roll again and add.
2 - 12: Torso
11 - 13: Leg (choose one; use non-injured leg if one has already been injured)
14 - 16: Off arm
17 - 20: Sword Arm
21+: Head

[Amechra]

You know, I was reminded of something when I looked at this.

Take a look at Cripple.

You might get some inspiration of some sort.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I'd make the threshold values based on percentages of max hit points, instead of being flat numbers. That way the system scales better with increasing health and damage at high levels, making it possible to lop off arms at any level.

I agree with the weighted location table. You could also write feats that let one or the other character swing the results roll-- forcing your opponent to roll twice and take the result of your choice, or allowing you to reroll the injury, or what have you.