House Rules - Wounds

Adventuring is dangerous business. Okay, sure, they're trained for it. They might even be heroes - but it doesn't change the fact that getting swung at with swords and axes, shot at with arrows and bolts, blasted with fire and ice, or just plain devoured by enormous beasts is not at all good for life expectancy. While many attacks will just graze the heroes, drawing beads of blood or leaving stinging welts, sometimes more permanent damage is inflicted.

Below is a list of possible wounds. When a character would incur a wound involuntarily, the DM will randomly determine a wound appropriate to the attack type, with a severity determined by the current condition of the character, as follows:

  • Bloodied: Moderate
  • Unconscious: Significant
  • Dying: Severe

Many wounds may have additional effects, listed below the wound track, based on what type of damage caused the triggering attack. In most cases, the what will be self-evident - claws are generally slashing, bites are likely to be piercing, and so on. Unless otherwise specified, later stages of wounds include all penalties of earlier stages.

Physical Wounds

Leg Damage (Moderate)

(Easy maintain, moderate improve)

Your leg has been injured, causing you mild problems when you attempt to exercise it to its fullest.

Check daily to improve. +4 to checks if the character never moved more than half of their speed during the day. Immediate aggravation if you run or charge, or fall more than 5 feet.

  1. Cured: The wound has healed fully.
  2. Healing: The injury is repairing itself, but you should still be careful.
  3. Initial Effect: You suffer a -1 penalty to Reflex, and a -2 penalty to Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth checks.
  4. Aggravated: In addition to the initial effects, you take a -1 penalty to speed and cannot shift, and must make a saving throw or fall prone after running or charging.
  • Bludgeoning: The thigh or calf is deeply bruised.
  • Piercing: The area has been pierced.
  • Slashing: The leg has a shallow, but significant, cut.

Leg Damage (Significant)

(moderate maintain, hard improve)

Your leg has sustained significant trauma, making even minor activities painful and significantly impairing your activities.

Check weekly to improve. +4 to checks if the character never moved more than half of their speed during the period. +2 to checks if splinted. Immediate aggravation if you run or charge, or fall more than 5 feet.

  1. Weakened: Your leg has healed enough to use it - as long as you're careful. Remove this injury and gain a moderate leg damage wound, at the initial stage.
  2. Painful: The worst of the pain has alleviated, but you still have very little use of your leg. Decrease the penalties to speed and Reflex by 1.
  3. Initial Effect: You suffer a -2 penalty to speed and Reflex, cannot shift, and suffer a -5 penalty to Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth checks.
  4. Aggravated: In addition to the initial effects, you can only move if you are crawling and increase the penalty to skill checks to -10.
  5. Infected: Your inability to care for your wound has caused an infection. You gain the infection disease in addition to this one.
  • Bludgeoning: A bone has been snapped, but it is a clean break. When you are bloodied or crit by an attack while suffering this wound, you are dazed for a round.
  • Piercing: A joint has been severely punctured and run through. Double the penalty to speed caused by this wound.
  • Slashing: A major ligament is cut. While at the initial state or worse, you must make a saving throw or fall prone after you move.

Leg Damage (Severe)

(moderate maintain, hard improve)

Your leg has suffered enough damage to render it permanently impaired. You might learn to manage with it, but you will always be troubled by it.

Check weekly to improve. An immediate (within 5 minutes) Hard Heal check may save the limb - if you succeed at your next recovery check after receiving immediate medical care, you remove this injury and gain a significant leg wound at the initial stage, instead. +4 to checks if the character never moved more than half of their speed during the period. +2 to checks if splinted. Immediate aggravation check necessary whenever you move on your own.

  1. Adapting: You have adapted as well as you're likely ever going to. You suffer no penalty to Reflex and reduce the penalties to skill checks by another 3. You cannot shift. You no longer make checks for this injury.
  2. Painful: You are troubled by your injury, but it is beginning to become manageable. Reduce the penalty to Reflex by 1, and to the appropriate skill checks by 5 as long as you have some form of support. You are no longer slowed, but suffer a -2 penalty to your speed and cannot shift.
  3. Heavily Damage: The immediate damage is done, but you are still heavily impaired and find it difficult to function. Same as the initial stage except for the ongoing damage.
  4. Initial Effect: You are slowed and suffer a -2 penalty to Reflex, as well as a -10 penalty to Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth checks. You gain ongoing 5/10/15 damage (save ends) the first time you enter this stage.
  5. Aggravated: In addition to the initial effects, you can only move if you are crawling and automatically fail Athletics, Acrobatics, and Stealth checks. You gain ongoing 5/10/15 damage (save ends) each time you are bloodied or critically hit by an attack.
  6. Infected: Your inability to care for your wound has caused an infection. You gain the infection disease in addition to this one.
  • Bludgeoning: Multiple bones are broken and will never heal completely. You are dazed at the end of every move action while at the initial effect or worse.
  • Piercing: The foot or calf is torn open and useless. You are dazed at the end of every move action while at the initial effect or worse.
  • Slashing: The foot or lower leg has been completely severed. You cannot stand on your own without some form of aid.

Eye Damage (Moderate)

(easy maintain, moderate improve)

Your eye is injured, but not severely. You can still see out of it, but it does impair your vision.

Check daily to improve.

  1. Healed: Your eye is healed.
  2. Improved: You no longer suffer any penalty to vision-based Perception checks unless the target is more than 2 squares from you, and the ranged increment of weapons you use is halved.
  3. Damaged: Decrease the penalty to vision-based Perception checks to 2 and remove the penalties to other perception checks and attack rolls.
  4. Initial Effect: You suffer a -5 penalty to vision-based Perception checks, a -2 penalty to other Perception checks, and a -1 penalty to all attack rolls. You suffer an additional -2 to all attacks or checks pertaining to creatures or objects more than 2 squares from you.
  5. Recovering Slowly: You suffer the initial effects, and while at this stage checks to improve are at a +2 bonus to the roll.
  6. Infected: Your inability to care for your wound has caused an infection. You gain the infection disease in addition to this one.
  • Bludgeoning: Your eye bruised and swollen. At the end of the encounter in which you obtain the injury, double all penalties it causes for the first 24 hours.
  • Piercing: Your eye was poked and is irritated. You are dazed for a round unless you make an immediate saving throw.
  • Slashing: The eye is cut, but it's mostly the brow that gushes blood causing problems. Until you make two successful saves in a row or receive medical attention, you are blinded at the end of each turn unless you succeed at a saving throw.

Eye Damage (Significant)

(moderate maintain, hard improve)

Your eye is injured and beaten, but may improve... but for now, it's hard to see and process visual information, making you clumsy and less effective.

Check daily to improve.

  1. Healing: Your eye is significantly better. Remove this injury and gain a moderate eye injury, at the Damaged stage.
  2. Improved: Your eye continues to heal. Decrease the penalty to vision-based Perception checks to 2 and remove the penalties to other perception checks and attack rolls. While at this stage, make the check to improve weekly instead of daily.
  3. Damaged: You no longer grant combat advantage, and halve the penalty to Perception checks and attack rolls. While at this stage, make the check to improve weekly instead of daily.
  4. Initial Effect: You suffer a -10 penalty to vision-based Perception checks, a -5 penalty to other Perception checks, a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, and grant combat advantage. You suffer an additional -2 to all attacks or checks pertaining to creatures or objects more than 2 squares from you.
  5. Failing to Recover: You suffer the initial effects, and while at this stage checks to improve are at a -2 penalty to the roll.
  6. Infected: Your inability to care for your wound has caused an infection. You gain the infection disease in addition to this one.
  • Bludgeoning: Your eye is damage, but so is the surrounding tissue. You receive a moderate head injury immediately.
  • Piercing: Your eye is pierced and more likely to be infected. You suffer a -2 penalty to improvement checks while at the Initial stage or worse.
  • Slashing: The eye is cut, as is surrounding tissue. You gain ongoing 2/4/6 damage (save ends) immediately, and until you receive medical attention or succeed at three saving throws in a row, you are blinded at the end of each turn unless you succeed at a saving throw.

Eye Damage (Severe)

(moderate maintain, hard improve)

Your eye has been heavily damaged and no longer functions.

Check daily to improve. An immediate (within 5 minutes) Hard Heal check may save the eye - if you succeed at your next recovery check after receiving immediate medical care, you remove this injury and gain a significant eye wound at the initial stage, instead.

  1. Monocular Vision: One eye isn't a crutch, it's a badge of honor! You have adapted as well as you're likely ever going to. You no longer suffer any penalty to Perception or an attack penalty for creatures more than 2 squares away, but decrease all range increments for ranged weapons you use by half. You no longer make checks for this injury.
  2. Adapting: While you still can't see out of the eye, you have begun adjusting. Decrease the penalty to vision-based Perception checks to 2 and remove the penalties to other perception checks and attack rolls. While at this stage, make the check to improve weekly instead of daily, and make a Wisdom check instead of Endurance or Heal.
  3. Damaged: You no longer grant combat advantage, and halve the penalty to Perception checks and attack rolls. While at this stage, make the check to improve weekly instead of daily.
  4. Initial Effect: You suffer a -10 penalty to vision-based Perception checks, a -5 penalty to other Perception checks, a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, and grant combat advantage. You suffer an additional -2 to all attacks or checks pertaining to creatures or objects more than 2 squares from you.
  5. Failing to Recover: You suffer the initial effects, and while at this stage checks to improve are at a -2 penalty to the roll.
  6. Infected: Your inability to care for your wound has caused an infection. You gain the infection disease in addition to this one.
  • Bludgeoning: Your eye is crushed, but you're also stunned. You receive a moderate head injury immediately.
  • Piercing: Your eye is pierced and completely destroyed. Increase the DC for immediate medical attention by 5.
  • Slashing: The eye is cut, as is surrounding tissue. You gain ongoing 5/10/15 damage (save ends) immediately, and until you receive medical attention, you are blinded at the end of each turn unless you succeed at a saving throw.

Torso Damage (Moderate)

(easy maintain, moderate improve)

You have suffered a blow to your chest, shoulder, or upper back. It's distracting and painful, but you'll survive it.

Check daily to improve.

  1. Healed: The wound has healed completely.
  2. Recovery: Feeling better, you reduce to penalty to skill checks by 1, and are no longer vulnerable to all damage.
  3. Initial Effect: Damage to your core is exhausting. You suffer a -2 penalty to Athletics, Acrobatics, and Endurance checks, and reduce your maximum number of healing surges by 1. You gain vulnerable 1 to all damage.
  4. Aggravated: Having aggravated the wound, you find yourself incredibly stiff. In addition to the initial effects, enemies can flank you as long as they are not directly adjacent to one another.
  5. Infected: Your inability to care for your wound has caused an infection. You gain the infection disease in addition to this one.
  • Bludgeoning: Battered and bruised, it might get worse before it gets better. Your first recovery check is at a -4 penalty.
  • Piercing: You were stuck and it is constantly aggravating. You take 2/4/6 damage immediately, and it cannot be healed until you reach the Recovery period.
  • Slashing: It's a shallow wound, but long, and it bleeds. You gain ongoing 2/4/6 damage (save ends) immediately.