Come Warfare, The Entire Doom (Wounding, Death, Dismemberment...)

While cultivating traditional aesthetics through adaptation of more modern systems, the disconnect caused by 5th Edition’s Unconsciousness mechanic made for a very, very sore sticking point. I found it to be disempowering, illogical and exploitable in unrealistic ways. A real tour de force, all told.

The throwaway lines given to adress the subject of lingering injuries in the DMG are equally frustrating. The chart is all over the place and lacks rhyme or reason despite having a few good entries.

Trollsmyth’s blog provided the idea for the bell-curve format that I’ve come to rely upon for results where a lower result dispersal is to be desired, the present example being pretty much archetypal.

Bigger, I get

I’ve not yet arrived at a definite vision of what I intend to do with this, mechanically-speaking. But the guiding lines at least are clear:

- Character resilience

Like Trollsmyth posits, the use of a table such as this actually improves character durability, something that can make it welcome, particularly at low levels, despite the trade-off in potential for lethality.

I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to have a Saving Throw mediating the consequence of rolling on the table, ultimately deciding for it, despite this adding one more roll to the procedures; I did this in order to free up space for more interesting results on the table (which is a combination of Trollsmyth’s and the 5E DMG), rather than one or more slots being taken by “no consequence”. I’m not fully sold on this idea and thus the table did end up rather crowded, but I wanted to cram every interesting result in its entries.

Also, the DC of the Saving Throws, Death and otherwise, is up for brainstorming. Has to be something that accounts for multiple light weapon hits as well a big crunchy heavy ones.

- Player empowerment

If you’re down to 0 Hp, it is not yet the end, but you’re now in the business of juggling knives. The increased risk lays at the player’s feet the decision to press on or flee, knowing that the consequences will hereon in turn to dire.

- Variable length for conditions

This mechanic, a salvaged aspect of 5E’s 3-strikes Death Saving Throw rule, gives the player of a downed character an important measure of hope instead of up-front knowledge about the number of rounds the character’s going to spend in the sidelines, thus minimizing meta-gaming choices and turning combat less predictable. It  also allows for a few final dashes of glory even for a doomed character.

(The other option would be for the DM to secretly roll the duration of conditions in combat, but I prefer the former, as it is lighter on the bookkeeping and keeps the player doing something on his own turn, even if residual).

- Occasional permanent harshness

Consequences.

This is the big one. If you play around with dismemberment, the time will come when shit gets medieval. Retiring and replacing maimed characters should be an option, but I’d endeavour to have this occur at a cost; Cost in uniqueness, cost in relative power-level. Deciding on having rank-and-file join the party or carry on with a diminished veteran is a player’s choice to make.

Taking my notes from the school of Warhammer, I advise letting the player make that final roll that will save or condemn his character. The psychology involved in this cannot be overstated: It is a world of difference having someone hand you your character’s demise or having your own luck to curse.

Also, never underestimate the tension generated by gambling. If the stakes are high, this can mean the roll is made with bated breath, always a good feeling to invoke at a gaming table.

Finally, this table can also be used as a mechanical implement to abbreviate some traumatic events outside of combat, such as falls, by bypassing the Hp mechanic entirely and instead rolling directly on it, one or multiple times, as befits to the deadliness of the hazard.