From: rorice@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu (rosalyn rice) Like my rules on combat, my injury rules greatly expand on the GURPS system. I present them for your amusement and comment... This section of the rules gives expanded rules for combat injuries. This makes combat even more deadly than the standard GURPS version. Use them at your own risk. Injury Rules 1 - Combat Damage THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "HP" AND "HT" - "HP" refers to "hit points"; your ability to take physical damage. HT refers to "Health" your body's ability to fight off the effects of wounds, fatigue, and other physical problems and to recover. In most cases the number for HP and HT will be the same, since your basic Hit Points are equal to your Health score. If you buy your Hit Points up or down as an advantage or disadvantage you might have more, or less HP. EFFECTS OF WEAPONS SKILL ON DAMAGE - For each 3 points of weapon skill you have over 10 add +1 per die to basic damage done with a melee weapon or unarmed attack. EFFECTS OF DIE ROLLS ON DAMAGE - For each 3 points by which you won the contest of weapon skill vs. defense, add +1 to your base damage for hand-weapon or unarmed attacks, up to the maximum damage your weapon can do. Alternately, if you hit by a high enough margin, you can choose to hit a more vital target in the hit location you have targeted. BULLET DAMAGE - Bullets are treated as crushing damage, except for blows to the brain or torso. A bullet that gets through armor always does 1 point of damage, irregardless of the die roll. Certain types of bullets will have other damage modifiers. OTHER SORTS OF DAMAGE - Some types of weapons do other types of damage, like Burning, or Poison Gas. These sorts of damage are dealt with in their own sections. CRITICAL HIT TABLE (3D6) 3 If the blow was aimed at the torso, it does normal damage and the foe is knocked unconcious. Roll vs. HT every 30 minutes to recover. Otherwise it does triple damage. 4 The blow bypasses all armor and does maximum normal damage. 5 The blow does triple normal damage. 6 The blow does double normal damage. 7 The blow does normal maximum damage and the foe is STUNNED until he makes his HT roll. 8 If the blow is aimed at a limb, it does normal damage and the limb is automatically crippled, until the foe can roll vs. HT to recover. If the limb takes enough damage to be crippled, it can't recover. 9-11 Normal maximum damage 12 If the blow is aimed at a limb, it does normal damage and the limb is automatically crippled, until the foe can roll vs. HT to recover. If the limb takes enough damage to be crippled, it can't recover. 13 The blow bypasses all armor and does normal maximum damage. 14 If the blow is aimed at a limb, that limb is crippled in addition to normal damage. Otherwise double damage. 15 Enemy is disarmed and he takes normal damage. 16 Double Damage 17 Triple Damage 18 If the blow was aimed at the body, it does normal damage and the foe is knocked unconcious. Roll vs. HT every 30 minutes to recover. Otherwise it does triple damage. CRITICAL HEAD BLOW TABLE 3 Foe is killed instantly. 4-5 Foe is knocked unconcious. Roll vs. HT every 30 minutes to recover. 6 Foe is hit across both eyes and blinded. Use "crippling" rules to determine whether eyes can heal (roll separately for each). Foe is stunned and fights at -10 for the rest of the battle. 7 Foe is blinded in one eye. Use "crippling" rules to determine if it heals. Foes is stunned; will fight at -3 for the rest of the battle. 8 Foe is knocked off balance; he may defend normally next turn but may do nothing else. The blow also does normal head-blow damage. 9-11 Normal maximum damage only. 12 If the attack was a bullet, cutting, crushing blow, it does normal head-blow damage and the foe will be deaf for the next 24 hours. It was an impaling blow it does normal maximum damage. 13 If the attack was a bullet, cutting, crushing blow, it does normal head-blow damage and the foe will be permanently deaf. It was an impaling blow it does normal maximum damage. 14 Normal maximum damage. Foe drops he weapon. If has 2 weapons roll randomly to see which one he drops. 15-18 Normal maximum damage and the foe is stunned. GENERAL DAMAGE: LOST HIT POINTS - Someone who is wounded or has lost HP repeatedly will eventually weaken and collapse, even if no single injury is very great. Characters who lose most of their hit points are affected as follows: 1/3 HP or 3 or less Hits (Whichever is less) - Your Move score is halved. All skills and abilities are at -4. You are reeling from your wounds. At this point, no wound to any part of the limb affects his ability to stay concious or alive. 0 HP left - As above, but you will probably soon fall unconcious. You must roll vs. HT each turn to avoid Unconciousness. -HP hit points - You must roll vs. HT each minute or you stop breathing and go into Cardiac Arrest. You will shortly die without emercency medical aid. -2 x to -4 x hit points - As above, but you must roll again for Cardiac Arrest as you pass each multiple of negative HP. -5 x HP hit points - You automatically go into Cardiac Arrest and Loss of Breathing. Rescue attempts won't work. You are too badly injured to live. -10 x HP hit points - Your body is completely destroyed, if the damage done was burning or cutting damage, or other damage that pretty-well mutilates the body. This will put you beyond the reach of psionic or magical ressurection in most cases. STAGGERING FROM WOUNDS - If you are reduced to 1/3 basic Hit Points or 3 Hit Points (whichever is less), your move score is halved, and all active defenses, skills and abilities are at -4. FATIGUE LOSS FROM HITS - Blows that hit the head or torso for at least 0 points of damage subtract -1 point of Fatigue. STUN - A character can be stunned five ways: by doing more than 1/2 his HP anywhere in a single blow, by damage of more than 1/3 HP to his head, groin, jaw or brain or vitals, by a crippling injury, a hit that blinds both eyes, or a critical hit. If you recieve a single wound that does damage of more than 1/2 your basic Hit Points, you must roll vs. HT. If you fail the roll by 3 or more points you are knocked prone. If you fail the roll by less than 3 points you are knocked to your knees. (You may automatically fall if you wish.) All active defenses are at -4 during the turn and the stun penalty is doubled until you recover. Roll vs. HT each turn to recover. If you recover, you can act normally that turn and thereafter. If you fail the roll, you can't move and remain "knocked down". STUNNING THROUGH ARMOR - HT rolls to avoid Knockout are made at -1 per 5 points of Basic Damage done even if the blow doesn't penetrate. DAZE - You are at a penalty to use all skills and abilities equal to the number of hits you took on the preceeding turn. This penalty is halved each turn thereafter until it goes away. If you are using a mounted weapon with an electronic sighting mechanism, this penalty is halved. High Pain Threshold eliminates this penalty. Low Pain Threshold doubles any penalties. PAIN - 1/4 of all Daze penalty (rounded down) is "permanent" until the wound is healed, once combat is over, to a maximum penalty of -10. The negative modifier applies to all skill and statistic including Move. High Pain Threshold halves this penalty. Low Pain Threshold doubles the penalty. Appropriate pain-killers partially or fully eliminate the penalty. Certain injuries, while not deadly, are painful. A headache might be good for -1 to mental skills and IQ. A migraine is good for -2 to all skills. A severe sprain, pulled muscle, or torn ligment is good for -1 to -4 to all physical skills, ST and DX rolls and the Move score. In combat, the painful effects of previous wounds are temporarily ignored (except for effects of Daze). You are so sky-high on adrenelin that you don't notice the pain. UNCONCIOUSNESS: STAYING IN THE FIGHT - If you are reduced to zero or fewer hit Points you are fighting on sheer willpower. Roll vs. Basic HT at the beginning of any turn you are at or below zero hit points. Subtract -1 from the roll for each 5 points of damage taken above the amount required to bring you to zero. Each level of Strong Will gives +1. Each level of Weak Will gives -1. If you make your roll, you can take your turn. If you fail the roll, you fall down (see above) and go into Shock. Roll each turn and when you take another wound. If you take a wound, you must immediately make another roll to see if you're out of it. If you take more than one wound in the same turn, roll only for the most severe wound, but add the damage from all the wounds to the negative modifiers. A blow to the brain that does more than HP/2 hits is an automatic knockout. Once all immediately obvious foes have been defeated or dispersed, roll every 10 seconds for unconciousness. SEMI-CONCIOUSNESS - Roll vs. HT each minute to stay Semi-Concious. You can't move and are at -6 to all skills and abilities, but you can still see and remember, to a degree. KNOCKBACK - When you hit someone very hard with a large weapon, you may knock him backward. For every full 8 hits damage you roll with a thrusting hand weapon, move the foe back one hex directly away from you. Calculate knockback before the DR of the opponent's armor is subtracted. It may protect him from injury, but it won't keep him from feeling the blow. Anyone knocked backwards must make a DX roll to avoid falling down. A successful roll means that they land on their feet. Swinging attacks don't knock back the opponent more than 1 hex, no matter how much damage is done. KNOCKBACK DAMAGE - If you are knocked back by a blunt thrusting or slam attack (like being hit by a car) you take 3/4 normal damage since some of the impact is converted into energy pushing you back, rather than damage your body absorbs. You don't get this break if you hit a solid object (or skid along a rough surface) because of the knockback, since the energy gets reconverted into damage. All knockback damage is crushing, to a random, logical part of the body. Being inside a falling or flying vehicle won't protect crew from knockback damage. If you deliberately throw or push someone and they collide with something heavy or dangerous, they take damage as if you threw an object of their weight at them and they will stop in the hex (or just beyond it) where they hit. SUPER KNOCKBACK (CINEMATIC) - If a surface your foe hits takes more damage from the hit than the item has DR, the foe goes THROUGH the thing, possibly taking more damage when he hits the ground on the other side. The distance you opponent goes after he penetrates, is equal to the remaining knockback minus 1 hex per each 8 points of damage the surface (not the foe) took. The foe can only take points of damage equal to the DR x 2 of any given surface. If this doesn't penetrate the DR of the foe's armor, so be it, he flies through the object unharmed. BULLET KNOCKBACK - Realistically, irregardless of the damage a bullet or beam weapon does, a foe will be knocked back, at most, one hex, or maybe 2 hexes on a critical hit. A man hit with an elephant rifle is as likely to fall forward as backward. For cinematic campaigns, you can have gunshot victims being knocked back much further if you want to. INSTANT DEATH - Regardless of HP, anyone can be killed by a cut throat, decapitation, etc. If a helpless or unconcious person is attacked in an obviously lethal way - they're dead. Don't bother to roll for damage. If there is a question of whether or not a hasty or marginal execution attempt is lethal have the killer roll vs. his IQ, Physiology, Assasin, Poison or Weapon skill, or some other appropriate skill to do the job right. Very small guns or guns that are prone to misfire always roll for damage. A .22 might not kill, even when pressed against the head or chest. It takes 5 to 10 seconds to execute someone and make sure they are dead. This does not apply to an unaware victim. If you sneak up behind a sentry, you can't automatically kill him, but you have a pretty good chance of doing so - you get a +4 to hit if he is just standing there, you can aim for the brain or the vitals and he gets no active defense. DYING ACTIONS - When a PC or important NPC is killed in any but the most sudden and thorough fashion, the GM should allow a dying action. If this is a final blow at the enemy, it should take no more than a turn. If it is a deathbed speech, the GM can stretch time a little bit for dramatic purposes. LAST WOUNDS - Once a character's HP is reduced to 3 or less, no wound to any part of the limb affects his ability to stay concious or alive unless: A) if is a critical hit, B) it cripples the limb, C) it does 3+ points of damage, or D) it causes a special effect - like bleeding. Injury to the limbs is still kept track of to see if they are crippled or not, or to see how badly they are crippled. CARDIAC ARREST - If you are at -HP or less, then you must roll vs. HT every minute or begin to go into Cardiac Arrest until you are stabilized with First Aid. You will begin to Suffocate and unless your heart is restarted you will quickly die. For every 10 points of damage you took this turn you must roll vs. HT at -1. You must also roll at -1 for every 2 Blood Points lost. If you make three successful rolls to avoid Cardiac Arrest, then your body has naturally stabilized, and you don't need to make any more rolls unless you take more damage. (Bleeding counts as damage.) On a critical failure your heart stops and won't restart until at least one point of damage is healed or restored. In low tech campaigns this means that you die. Other types of damage, like electrical shock might also cause Cardiac Arrest. LOSS OF RESPIRATION - A character might stop breathing due to the effects of wounds to the Head, Spine, Chest, Throat, Face or Jaw or due to Cardiac Arrest. Roll vs. HT+5-Damage if the roll fails the character starts to suffocate. If the character goes into Cardiac Arrest they automaticaly lose Respiration. CPR is required to revive the character. On a Critical Failure the lungs won't work until the damage is healed and the character must be kept on oxygen or life support. FRIGHT CHECKS - For most people being wounded is a traumatic experience. The GM might require a Fright Check for any character who has taken a wound that does 3 or more points of damage, especially if it is painful or bloody. Characters with the Combat Veteran or Combat Reflexes advantage, or professional martial artists should be immune to this effect - they've been hurt enough to know to keep their heads. DYING FROM BLUNT WEAPONS - Blunt trauma tends to kill its victims slowly rather than quickly. If a character took most of his damage from Crushing attacks (except for bullets), unless the damage was to the head or resulted in Severe Bleeding from an open wound (like a Open fracture), the character needs to roll vs. HT to see if he goes into Cardiac Arrest every 5 minutes, rather than every minute. AMPUTATING LIMBS - Hits that cripple a limb (more than HP/3) blow by cutting weapons, explosions, or bullets or beam weapons that do more than 10d6 basic damage might amputate that limb. Roll vs. HT +5 - Damage to see if the limb is amputated. If the HT roll is failed by 3 or more, the limb is amputated. Roll for severe bleeding at -4 to HT. DECAPITATION -A hit that does HP or more points of damage in one blow requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid decapitation. The DR of a closed-faced helm protects this area, as does the DR of any chest or neck armor. If the character is decapitated he automatically dies. AMPUTATING FINGERS - If a cuttting weapon cripples the hand roll vs. HT - Damage done. For each two points the roll was missed by the character loses one finger. The last finger lost will be the thumb. If the roll was missed by more than 5 points the whole hand is lost at the wrist. Roll for Severe Bleeding. CUTTING IN HALF - If a cutting weapon, explosion, or beam weapon does at leat 13d6 damage in a single attack, then it might, essentially, cut a person in half through the torso. If an attack which has the potential for massive damage did at least HPx3 damage to a the torso (before blowthrough) roll vs. HT+5-1 per every 10 points of damage done. If the roll is failed, the victim is cut in half and immediately suffers the effects of severe bleeding, shock, stun, daze, loss of respiration, and so forth. For simplicity sake assume that the victim immediately goes unconcious and automatically dies in 3d6 seconds. BLEEDING - The victim of a cutting, impaling or bullet wound may continue to lose HP due to bleeding. At the end of every minute after being wounded, the victim rolls vs. HT+5-1 per 5 points of damage taken. If he fails this HT roll, he bleeds for a loss of 1 HT. On a critical failure, he starts to bleed severely. On an ordinary success, he does not bleed this minute, but must continue to roll every minute. If he does not bleed for three consecutive minutes, the bleeding stops for good. If someone makes a First Aid roll to help his wounded comrade, or a wounded but concious character makes a First Aid roll on himself, the bleeding stops immediately. One First Aid roll may be attempted per patient per minute; this roll comes before the bleeding roll. Once first aid has been successfully administered, no more bleeding rolls are made. If a successful First Aid roll is made within the first minute after the wound was delivered there will be no HP loss due to bleeding. Once bleeding has been halted, the character administering first aid may spend 30 minutes treating the character for shock. The GM decides what wounds will bleed. Most crushing wounds won't bleed unless they are to the nose or scalp or they break a bone. Burns and similar wounds, such as electrical shock, lasers, and chemical burns, do not bleed significantly because the damage sears the wounded flesh cauterizing the wound and preventing blood loss automatically. SEVERE BLEEDING - Some wounds might bleed severely. Roll vs. HT - the number of points of damage done in that wound. If the roll exceeds HT score roll on the following table. HT roll was missed by Bleeding Rate 1 to 3 points -1 HP per 1d6 x 10 minutes 4 to 6 points -1 HP per 1d6 x 1 minutes 7+ points -1 HP per 1d6 x 10 seconds Severe bleeding to a limb can be stopped with a Tourniquet. Severe bleeding in the head, chest or abdomen can only be stopped with Surgery. It can be slowed one step with a successful First-Aid roll and continuous direct pressure. INTERNAL BLEEDING - Treat Internal Bleeding as Severe Bleeding. Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage for crushing damage to the head, chest, vitals and abdomen that does more than HP/2 damage or cripples a limb but does not result in an open fracture. If the roll exceeds HT roll on the following table. HT roll was missed by Bleeding Rate 1 to 3 points -1 HP per 2 hours 4 to 6 points -1 HP per hour 7+ points -1 HP per 30 minutes Internal bleeding can only be stopped with Surgery. Damage due to internal bleeding in a limb counts as damage towards crippling or destroying the limb. Internal bleeding in the head counts as damage towards brain damage. EFFECTS OF BLOOD LOSS - For every 2 points of blood lost, the character suffers -1 Fatigue and has -1 HT to avoid Infection, Shock, and Unconciousness, as well as -1 HT to resist the effects of a Collapsed Lung, Cardiac Arrest or Loss of Respiration. These penalties are removed if the character recieves blood transfusions and antibiotics. In addition, the character will be extremely thirsty. Roll vs. Will each 15 minutes to NOT drink if water is available and the character can drink. Drinking or eating aggravates wounds of the digestive tract. BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS - Properly typed blood or plasma restores 1 HP per 2 HP of blood loss. Improperly typed blood does 1d6-3 damage (minimum 1 point) and requires the character to roll vs. Shock. COAGULATING - A wound might stop bleeding severely. Roll vs. HT every 10 minutes or just before the character would lose HP due to blood loss. On a successful roll the rate of bleeding has decreased one level. Roll again for the new bleeding rate. A wound that is already at the lowest level stops bleeding unless the character engages in strenous activity. Then the wound reopens at the lowest level. Internal bleeding doesn't stop. SHOCK - Any severe damage can put a character into shock. Roll vs. HT - 1/2 HP lost (rounding up), to see if you go into shock whenever you take a wound. If you fail the roll, you begin to go into shock. You are at -2 to IQ and mental skills while combat continues, and are at -2 to all Will and HT rolls to stay concious. POST COMBAT - Once the combat (or danger situation) ends, or HT x 6 seconds pass (whichever comes first), you are giddy, shaky and weak. -5 to all skills and abilities and you move at 1/2 Move. Every minute you must roll vs. HT or go Unconcious (as above) and must roll vs. DX or Fall Down. A Critical Failure on any of these rolls means that you hurt yourself or go into Cardiac Arrest. RECOVERY - Once you fall down or go Unconcious roll vs. HT every hour to see if you recover without medical aid. With medical aid (a successful First-Aid roll) roll every half-hour at +2 to HT. In inhospitable conditions or if you are sick, drugged, starving or thirsty you have a -1 to -4 to your roll. Once you recover you are still weak and shaky (-2 to all physical skill, Move, ST and DX), but you will not go unconcious unless you lose more HP. You will recover from shock fully in 20-HT hours (minimum 1 hour). BLOOD-LOSS - If you went into shock due to the HP lost due to Severe Bleeding, blood or plasma transfusions will give you +1 to HT to recover from shock for every 2 points of blood given. Conversely, each point of blood lost gives you -1 to your HT rolls to stay concious and to recover. ANAPHALACTIC SHOCK - Analphalactic shock is caused by an allergic reaction to something. It causes Shock and Suffocation. Roll vs. HT each minute to avoid these effects. Antivenom must be injected or a tracheotomy must be performed for victim to breathe otherwise the character will suffocate. OLIGEMIC SHOCK - This a poisoning of the body due to waste products produced by damaged tissues. It gradually poisons the kidneys. A character must roll vs. HT+5-Damage each 3 hours that a wound or burn isn't treated or go into Oligemic Shock. Once the wound is treated the character must roll each day at HT+5- 1/2 Damage to avoid going into oligemic shock. A failed HT roll means that the character's kidneys shut down, the character will die in HT x 3 hours unless kidney dialysis machine is available (TL 7+). A Physician roll will give +1 to HT per every 2 points by which the doctor makes his roll. Burns can't be treated enough to avoid this effect until TL 8+. SUFFOCATION It is possible to render a victim unconcious or even dead without inflicting significant HT damage, by suffocating him. This may be done either by preventing him from breathing, or by restricting the flow of blood (and thus oxygen) to his brain. While struggling, a character can "hold his breath" - that is, survive without damage, while no fresh oxygen is reaching his brain - for HT turns. If the victim doesn't resist in any way - a feat which requires a Will roll - he may lie passively in the grip of his assailant, holding his breath for HT x 4 turns. If the victim can roll a contest of skills (Acting vs. IQ) the attacker may be fooled into thinking he's unconcious. Once the victim is "out of breath" he loses 1 fatigue point per turn. When he runs out of fatigue, he falls unconcious. If his assailant continues to suffocate him, he will die in HT x 24 seconds (about 4 minutes). He will start to suffer brain damage after HT x 12 seconds (about 2 minutes). If his assailant releases him, he will regain conciousness fairly quickly (a minute or so). A victim may be suffocated to unconciousness or death in a variety of ways. You may hold his nose and mouth shut by hand, cover his face with a pillow or other suitable object, constrict either of his carotid arteries, stop his heart, or crush his chest so he can't breath. None of these methods inflict HT damage on the victim - they simply induce brain death. Most of these methods require a tied up or helpless opponent, or the attacker has to win a contest of ST every turn until the victim falls unconcious. CHOKING - If you attempt to choke a foe to death by squeezing his trachea, you do inflict HT damage, as described under Strangling. At the same time, you are also suffocating him, as described here - so he may pass out from lack of oxygen before you actually crush his windpipe. The difference is that by simply suffocating him, you will not harm him in any lasting way; by choking him, you are inflicting potentially fatal damage. CRIPPLED LIMBS - If the target is hit on a limb and enough damage is done, the limb is temporarily crippled for whatever reason. It might heal or get better in time. A fighter immediately loses the use of a crippled limb. This can cause him to fall, or to drop whatever he was holding in that hand or arm. ACCUMULATED WOUNDS CRIPPLE - Keep track of where hits are taken. When total damage to a limb reaches the amount required to cripple it, it is crippled. Excess damage in a single blow is still lost, but damage to the same limb in subsequent turns still is counted when rolling for wound special effects and recovery from crippling injuries. BLOW-THROUGH - The amount of damage the limbs can take is limited; damage over HP/3 on the hands and feet, or HP/2 on the arms, legs or neck, is lost and does not affect the victim. For a single blow to the torso, impaling or bullet damage of more than HT is lost, it just goes through the victim and is wasted. For the head or vitals, damage over HTx3 is lost. There is no maximum damage for injuries to the brain. There is also no maximum damage cutoff for weapons that do 10d6 or more basic damage; such huge damage do so much damage going through that any "wastage" is moot. Note that hits to the joints cripple the limb before they "blow through". BLOWTHROUGH BY MELEE WEAPONS - Damage to the limb from a swinging weapon which "blows through" the limb and amputates it, will continue on into the body on a 9-. Damage which "blows through" the body, will hit a character directly behind the wounded character (for missiles or thrusts) or directly adjacent to the wounded character on a 7-. BROKEN BONES - If a limb is crippled and not amputated, a bone was probably broken. Hits to other parts of the body might also result in broken bones if a hit does HP/3 damage in a single blow. Roll vs. HT - Damage to avoid having a bone broken. If the roll is made, the bone is intact. If the roll was failed, one or more bones in that area is broken. The table determines how severe the break is: HT Roll Missed By: Effect 1-3 Simple Fracture. A limb is crippled. No effect for other areas. Roll again if the character attempts to use or bear weight on that part of the body before it is splinted. A broken spine can't be splinted without immobilizing the character. 4-6 Compound Fracture. As above, but all First Aid and Physician rolls are at -2 to set or immobilize the fracture and all HT rolls are at -4 if the character attempts to move or bear weight on the broken part. 6-8 Open Fracture. As above, but the bone breaks the skin. Roll for Bleeding and Severe Bleeding. Such fractures are treated as open wounds and might get infected. Surgery is required to set the bone and repair the wound. Prior to TL 6 this isn't possible, so a limb must be amputated. 9+ Compound, Open Fracture. As above, but worse. All rolls to HT for Severe Bleeding and Healing are at -2. All Surgery, First Aid and Physician rolls to set the bone or repair it are at -3. BREAKS FROM BULLETS - Broken bones from bullets are likely to be Compound and are always Open. Roll at -2 to HT when rolling for the type of break from a gunshot wound. If the bone is broken, add +2 to the amount the roll was missed by to determine the sort of break. BREAKS FROM FALLS - Broken bones from falls tend to be "clean". Roll at +4 to HT when rolling for the type of break from a fall. SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF BROKEN BONES BROKEN RIBS - Roll for a Punctured Lung on complex or compound fracture. LIMBS - Roll again for bleeding on any fracture if the character moves, or falls or the limb, or is roughly handled when being moved before the limb is immobilized. The bleeding will be internal if the break is closed, or normal if the break is open. HEAD - Roll again for Internal Bleeding and Unconciousness if the skull is broken. NECK OR SPINE - Roll again for Paralysis if the character moves, falls, or is roughly handled before break is immobilized. RECOVERING CONCIOUSNESS COMING TO - If you are at negative HP and have not yet had to make a HT roll to avoid Cardiac Arrest, you will become barely concious in as many hours as your HP score is negative. You will come out of shock in 20-HT hours (minimum 1). Example: Your HP score is -8 and your HT is 10. You will come to in 8 hours. You will fully recover from shock in 10 hours. A critical success means that you actually came to in half the required time. A critical failure means that you are in a Coma, as below. MOVEMENT AND FATIGUE - When you awaken, you can call for help or attempt to move if your legs or feet are not crippled. If you can walk, your Move score is halved, and all skills and abilities are at -4, just as if your HP score was at 3 or less. You are still technically at a negative HP score, though. If your leg is crippled you can crawl at 1 hex per turn, as long as both your arms are intact. If your arms and legs are crippled, tough luck. You are at 3 fatigue. You recover no HP or Fatigue until you find food, water and shelter. COMA - If your HP score was fully negative (i.e. you had to roll vs. HT to avoid Cardiac Arrest) you must roll vs. HT+5 - Damage every 12 hours to come to. You will die in HT x 6 hours without aid, if the enviorment and scavengers don't kill you first. If you have aid, you may survive indefinately. If you are on life-support, roll every 24 hours after the HT x 6 hours limit has passed to see if you come to. Check again each time you regain a hit point. A critical failure means that you are unconcious for a month before you can check again. If you have more than HP points in head injuries, the coma is permanent. A merciful GM might allow you to roll once per year to see if you come to, otherwise you're as good as dead. LIFE SUPPORT - At T.L. 6+ advanced life support will allow an unconcious person to survive indefinately. While you are on life-support, you must roll vs. HT each month or lose a point of ST. You must also roll vs. HT each month to avoid catching pneumonia or getting an infection due to bed sores. Good conditions, high-tech, and good Nursing or Physical Therapy rolls help. Poor care or conditions or failed rolls hurt. +1 per TL above 6. +/-1 per 3 every 3 points a monthly Nurse/Therapy roll succeeds by. +1 good medical care -2 poor medical care -4 very bad medical care HEALING The rate at which a character heals a wound depends on the amount of damage the wound did and the conditions in which the character heals. DAMAGE DONE SEVERITY OF WOUND RATE OF HEALING up to 1/2 HP of area Minor HT/2 per week up to HP of area Severe HT/4 per week over HP of area Critical HT/10 per week -1 to HT for each 2 points of blood lost and not replaced -1 or more to HT for unsanitary conditions -1 or more to HT for infection or disease -4 or more to HT for burns -1 or more to HT for activity -1 or more to HT for inadequate food or water -4 or more to HT for internal injuries and organ damage -1 for every 10 years of Age disadvantage over 50 +1/2 per TL above 5 (round down) +1 for complete bed-rest, with adequate food and water. +1 for every 2 points by which the attending Physician makes his roll, up to a maximum of 1/2 Tech Level. +1 for every 3 points by which the attending Nurse (if any) makes his roll, up to a maximum of +3. RATE OF HEALING The healing rules above assume TL 6-7 technology and characters with a normal rate of healing. This will not always be the case. Characters with the Rapid Healing advantage double their rate of healing. Characters with the Slow Healing disadvantage halve their rate of healing. Characters with Regeneration or Regrowth follow their own rules for recovery. At TL 8+ use the following modifiers for healing: TECH LEVEL RATE OF HEALING NOTES 8 Normal -2 for organ or burn damage 9 x2 -0 for organ or burn damage 10 x3 11 x4 12 x5 13 x6 14 x8 15+ x10 REGAINING BLOOD - HT/2 points of blood are regained per week. At TL 8+ this rate might go faster. HEALING BONES - Bones heal at a different rate. Load-Bearing Bones 21 weeks - HT (minimum of 5 weeks) Other Bones 15 weeks - HT (minimum of 3 weeks) x2 time for complex fractures Modifiers as above. RECOVERING FROM CRIPPLING INJURIES - At the end of any fight in which a character is crippled, that character makes a roll vs. HT+10 - Damage for each crippling injury. A successful HT roll allows the injury to recover fully. A failed HT roll means that the injury was permanent - resulting in crippling, a loss of abilities, or some other problem. For each 2 points the roll was missed by subtract 5 character points from affected abilities, skills or advantages or add 5 points of appropriate disadvantages. JOINT INJURIES - Joints are easier to cripple. All rolls to avoid crippling injury are made at HT-2. HEAD WOUNDS - Almost any type of skill or ability reduction (especially DX and IQ) is appropriate and almost any physical or mental disadvantage can be applied. If the character misses the HT roll by more than 10 points the character is in a Coma. BODY WOUNDS - For body wounds reduced ST, DX or HT are appropriate, as might some physical disadvantages. LIMB WOUNDS - For limb wounds, reduced ST, DX or the Crippled Limb disadvantage are appropriate. Crippled injuries heal at a rate of Damage - HT/10 per week, with a minimum of 1 month, irregardless if whether or not there are any permanent effects, unless specified otherwise. A permanently crippling wound is recorded on the character sheet and reduces the character point value of a character. EFFECTS OF CRIPPLING INJURIES BRAIN HITS - If the brain is hit, the skull provides a natural 2 DR. This is in addition to any armor, toughness, etc. the victim possesses. However, shooting for the eyes avoids this DR, and shooting for the eyeslits of a helm avoids both the helm's DR and the skull's DR. After the sull's DR of 2 is subtracted, any hit does 4 times basic damage (regardless of weapon type) and bullets do 6 times basic damage. Victim is stunned on hits over HP/3 and must roll vs. HT+5 - Damage or be knocked out. If damage is over HP/2 the victim is automatically knocked out. LOSS OF MEMORY - Loss of memory comes from hit to the Head or Spine. Roll vs. HT-1 per point of damage to head/neck. If the roll is failed the character goes can't remember anything from 1d6 minutes prior to the blow. If the roll is missed by 3+ the character can't remember anything for 1d6 hours prior to the injury. On a Critical Failure the character has Partial Amnesia. On a natural 18, the character has Full Amnesia. Roll vs. HT each week to recover memory. On a critical failure the amnesia is permanent. CONCUSSION - A Concussion is a part of any major head wound. Roll vs. HT - Damage when hit in the head. If the roll fails, the character has a Concussion, 1/2 of the Stun penalty is permanent. Roll again each hour to drop the Stun penalty by 1 point. On a Critical Failure, or if the roll is missed by 5+ the character goes Unconcious and has Internal Bleeding into his brain. Damage from bleeding counts towards Brain Damage unless relieved. Roll for the severity of internal bleeding normally. The character is "out of danger" in 34-HT hours and heals normally. KNOCKOUT FROM HEAD, BRAIN, JAW AND VITALS HITS - Any blow to the head or brain, or any crushing blow to the vitals requires the victim to make a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid knockout. DISFIGURING - Any hit to the face, nose, jaw or eye that does at least 1 point of damage will cause temporary or permanent loss of Good Appearance, depending on they type of blow. The DR of the skull does not protect against this effect. Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage. If the roll is failed, appearance is reduced by 1 level per 3 points the roll was missed by, to a mininum level of Hideous appearance. This heals as crippling damage. JAW HITS - Any crushing or slashing damage to the jaw requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid knockout. Any damage over HT/2 results in knockout. Any damage over HT/3 stuns the victim. This effect is halved if the victim is wearing a helmet or headgear that covers and pads the chin. Any damage to this area might result in damage to the teeth. Hits over HP/3 cripple the jaw. The victim can't shout or chew solid food until the jaw is healed. A bullet or explosion that does HP/2 or more to the jaw shatters the jaw. The character has -2 to HT to avoid Bleeding, -4 to HT to avoid Infection and Suffocation. Furthermore the character must have extensive Facial Reconstructive Surgery or have a Hideous Appearance. Roll vs. HT to save the tongue, otherwise the character is Mute, and is at -6 to Taste. Damage over HP to the jaw blows off the jaw. The effects are the same as above, but occur automatically. EYE HITS - More than 2 hits cutting or impaling damage blinds the eye. An impaling or missile hit (if the missile is under 1" across) that does more than 2 points of damage is an automatic brain hit, as above; the skull's DR does not protect. If the target is wearing a medieval closed-face helm, only a missile or thrusting attack can hit they eye and the attack is at -10. Modern riot helmets, which have a clear plastic visor, can't be targeted in this way. If both eyes are blinded at once, the victim is Stunned. BLACK EYE - Any cutting or crushing damage to the eye that does 0 or more points of damage cause the tissue around the eye to bruise and swell within 12 hours. This gives a -1 to Vision rolls per point of damage done until the damage is healed, up to a maximum penalty of -4. SWEAT/BLOOD IN EYE - Sweat or blood in the eye gives -2 to Vision rolls and Combat skills until it can be wiped away. Roll vs. HT on hits to head, face and eye to avoid this effect. A headband or similar item will usually negate this effect. NECK AND THROAT HITS - Any crushing or cutting damage that does HP/3 or more points of damage requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage or suffocation starts. Crushing damage to the throat does x 1.5 damage. Cutting or impaling damage does x 2 damage. Any cutting, bullet or impaling damage does double damage and requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage or severe bleeding starts. The victim is Stunned if he takes over HP/3 in a single blow to the throat. Spine hits are possible. A hit that does HP or more points of damage in one blow requires might Decapitate the character. THROAT DAMAGE AND SUFFOCATION - Damage to the the head, jaw or neck past HP/3 requires a roll vs. HT+5-Damage or the character starts to Suffocate either due to a crushed trachea or blocked airways. A tracheotomy is required to allow the character to breath. NOSE HITS - All damage to this area does x2 Stun. High Pain Threshold negates this effect (except for some animals which have sensitive noses). EAR HITS - Any crushing, cutting or bullet damage that does at least 2 points of damage, requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage or the ear is deafened, either permanently or temporarily. The skull only provides 1 DR protection around the ears. If the ear is deafened roll the character must roll vs. HT-1 or be stunned. This roll is at +5 if the character has High Pain Threshold, and is at -1 per point of damage if the character has a Low Pain Threshold. DEAFENING ATTACKS - A loud noise or a concussion from an explosion can deafen the character. Roll vs. HT whenever the character is near a very loud noise (+1 to HT for each hex away from the noise/epicenter of the blast the character is). If the roll is failed the character is deafened. He is at -6 to hear. For long term noise that isn't enough to deafen immediately (rock music, bells) roll vs. HT once every 10 minutes. For very loud noises or explosions, missing the roll by 3+ points means the character's eardrums are ruptured and are "crippled" until they heal. Roll vs. HT each week to regain hearing. On a Critical Failure the character is Hard of Hearing. A Will roll is required to stay near a painfully loud noise (roll each minute). Severe concussion over a long period of time requires a roll vs. HT each minute. A failed roll will cost 1 point of Fatigue until the character reaches 0 Fatigue. Then the character will start to take HT damage. ARM HITS - Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage or the hand is crippled as if the hand had been hit. Damage past HP/2 is lost. Impaling, slashing and bullet attacks do no extra damage to any part of the limbs. If the limb is crippled by an explosion or a cutting attack it may be Amputated. If the arm is crippled, any shield on that arm hangs uselessly in front of the character. It is treated as if the character was using the shield passively -i.e. it gives its PD-1 to all attacks to the front. HAND HITS - Roll vs. DX or drop any item in the hand, if it is crippled. If the item isn't dropped, it may still be carried if it weighs than ST/5, but the hand can't be used to pick up or manipulate the item. If the item is a weapon, the character can still attack with it at -6 to skill for hand weapons and long guns (-3 if the weapon is "locked" or taped into place) or -3 to skill for handguns. If the weapon has a Recoil penalty roll vs. DX-Rcl after each shot or group or the weapon drops from the character's hand. Cutting, explosive or bullet attacks might amputate fingers, see Amputating Fingers. Damage over HP/3 is lost. Impaling, slashing and bullet attacks do no extra damage to any part of the limbs. CHEST HITS - Damage in excess of HP/3 goes to the vitals. The rib-cage provides a natural DR of 1 to the vitals and kidneys. Damage past HT is lost. Spine hits are possible. HITS TO THE VITALS - All impaling and bullet damage that penetrates to the vitals does x3 damage. Other weapons do x2 damage. Stun penalties are doubled. Multiple bad things can happen when you get hit in the vitals. Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid the following: COLLAPSED LUNG - Roll vs. HT each minute or lose 1 fatigue until unconcious. If the patient exerts himself, roll vs. HT. Failure means that the rate of Fatigue loss is doubled. A Will-4 roll is required to exert yourself if you lose Fatigue. On a Critical Failure you Lose Respiration. HEART DAMAGE - If you critically miss your HT roll, the heart is damaged, you go into irreversible Cardiac Arrest in HT x 2d6 seconds. You must roll vs. HT each turn to stay concious. ARTERIAL DAMAGE AND CARDIAC TAMPONADE - This has the same effects as Severe Bleeding. LIVER DAMAGE - A failure means that the liver is damaged. This has the same effect as Severe Bleeding. On a Critical Failure the liver is shattered and you will die unless you get new liver within HT x 5 hours. (At TL 7+ when organ transplants are available. Below this TL you will die.) If a wound to the liver is successfully treated by surgery, the character must roll vs. HT or suffer from the Susceptability to Poison disadvantage due to poor liver function. SPLEEN DAMAGE - A failure means that the spleen is damaged. This has the same effect as Internal Bleeding until the damage is surgically repaired. SPINE HITS AND PARALYSIS - Spine hits are only possible on wounds from the back that do 2 points of damage or wounds from the front that blow through the victim. (i.e. do HP or more damage in the torso, HT/2 in the neck or head) or come within 3 points of doing so. A hit to the Spine requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage. Failure means that there is Paralysis of the body at and below the site of the wound. If the roll is missed by 3 or less, the Paralysis is partial. If the roll is missed by 4 or more, the Paralysis is complete. On a critical failure, the victim begins to die and can't be revived. The vertabrae give 2 DR vs. all attacks to the spine. If the spine was hit, but the weapon had only 1 or 2 points of damage left before it blew though (or only did 1 or 2 points of damage from the back), the missile lodges in the spine. The victim isn't paralyzed in this case, but might be paralyzed if the wound is aggravated. ABDOMINAL HITS - Damage to the abdomen over HP/3 penetrates to the body cavity. Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid severe bleeding. Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid perforation of the stomach, gall bladder, intestines, or bladder. If perforation occurs roll vs. HT-5 to avoid infection. Double all stun penalties. Spine hits are possible. Damage over HP is lost. EVULSION - Any puncture, bullet or cutting attack to the abdomen that does more than HP/2 in a single blow will cause Evulsion of the viscera. If Evulsion occurs, Stun, Shock and Pain penalties are doubled and the victim must make a Fright Check when he sees the wound. If the victim is still mobile, he can only use one hand (the other is holding his guts in) while he stands or lies prone until the wound is treated. He can also only move 1 hex per turn. All skills and physical abilities are at -4, in addition to other penalties. A Will check is required each minute to continue moving. If the victim falls or is knocked down he must roll vs. DX or his guts fall out, doing 1d6-3 point of extra damage. An evulsed wound gives -4 to HT to avoid infection. Evulsed wounds can be immobilized with First-Aid, but Surgery is required to repair the damage. HITS TO THE PELVIS - Crushing, bullet or cutting damage to the Pelvis over HP/2 cripples the leg, as below. Damage over HP/3 penetrates to the abdomen as above, but roll at HT+4 - Damage to avoid severe bleeding. Spine hits are possible. GROIN HITS - Any damage to the groin on males requires a roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid being Stunned. This roll is at +5 if you have the High Pain Threshold advantage. If you have the Low Pain Threshold disadvantage all penalties are doubled. Any damage over HT/3 results in automatic Knockout. All Stun penalties are tripled. There is no special effect for females. In all cases if the damage was bullet, cutting or impaling, roll for severe bleeding. The kidneys are substituted for the groin on attacks from the side or back. The groin can be targeted with melee attacks from the side or rear at double the normal penalty to attack. KIDNEY HITS - Damage that penetrates the rib cage to the kidneys does x2 damage, x3 for bullets or impaling attacks, x 1.5 damage for crushing damage. Roll vs. HT+5 - Damage to avoid severe bleeding. If the character manages to survive an attack to the kidneys, he must roll vs. HT+5 - Damage in order to avoid having the wounded kidney o the roll. On a critical failure, in addition to not healing, the character has the injury as a chronic condition. He aquires the Trick Knee (or whatever) or Bad Back disadvantage.