Critical Hit Chart

01-15

Head

16-35

Right Arm

36-55

Left Arm

56-80

Body

81-90

Right Leg

91-00

Left Leg

+1

+2

+3

+4

+5

+6

+7

+8

+9

+10

01-07

08-14

15-21

10

22-28

10

11

29-35

10

11

12

36-42

10

11

12

13

43-49

10

11

12

13

14

50-56

10

11

12

13

14

15

57-63

10

11

12

13

14

15

14

64-70

10

11

12

13

14

15

14

15

71-76

10

11

12

13

14

15

14

15

14

77-82

10

11

12

13

14

15

14

15

14

15

83-88

11

12

13

14

15

14

15

14

15

14

89-94

12

13

14

15

14

15

14

15

14

15

95-00

13

14

15

14

15

14

15

14

15

14

Sudden Death Results

No Effect: victim suffers no penalties and may resume combat as normal
Flee: victim disengages combat and flees for his life; opponent is granted one free attack
Dead: victim is dead

Optional Rules for Combat against Magic-users

Replace Weapon Skill penalties with Will Power

Replace combat characteristics (WS, BS, S, T) penalties with magic characteristics (WP, Int, S, T)
Any Critical Hit inflicted upon a magic-user causes a -1 penalty to his Mag score. This reflects how the seriousness of the wound interferes with the casters ability to manipulate the Winds of Magic
As an alternative to the above, each Critical Hit inflicted upon a magic-user causes one additional Chaos Die
to be added to any spell-casting roll
Any Critical Hit that affects the voice (ie, Blunt Head Effect #10) prevents a magic user from casting spells
for the duration of the effect

v 2.0 2006 Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

JOSEFS EXTENDED
CRITICAL HITS
-- rough draft --

Wound levels and recovery of Wounds

Although there are players who feel that the whole Wounds system is flawed, creating an artificial
and unrealistic buffer between taking hits and taking actual injury, even going so far as to suggest
various other methods to depict trauma, I have intentionally kept this system to make it easier for
everyone to use my charts, keeping most of the basics from the WFRP rulebook.
One of the most controversial items in the WFRP equipment list is the infamous Healing Poultice, a
hideously effective and extremely unrealistic item that has been banned or severely altered by many
player groups so as not to unbalance the game and remove the grim and gritty nature of WFRP
combat. I have chosen to alter it significantly, making it much less effective but still useful. I have also
modified the Healing Draught and revised magical healing in various ways.
The two different levels of being wounded remain basically unchanged:

If a character has fewer than all his Wounds but more than three Wounds left he is Lightly
Wounded. This represents relatively minor injuries such as bruises, sprains and pulled
muscles, shallow cuts and gashes that lead to pain and minor blood loss but have not severely
damaged muscles or organs, first degree burns with painful blisters, plain fatigue, etc. There is
little risk of infection and you need little more than rest to recover fully. A Lightly Wounded
character will wake up each morning feeling every ache and pain, being far from his usual
healthy self and at risk of taking more severe injuries should he enter another fight in such a
sorry state. When something happens, such as a new combat or any situation requiring a skill
or attribute roll, the burst of adrenaline and the distraction will make you forget your misery
momentarily, so you do not suffer any penalties apart from the fact that you are much closer to
the Heavily Wounded state. The default natural healing rate is one Wound per day.

If a character has between zero and three Wounds he is Heavily Wounded. By now he has
taken large flesh wounds, bone-deep bruises with possibly some minor rib fractures, major
burns, etc, but still not any really crippling injury. At this stage there is a risk of infection and
proper medical care becomes more important. The default rate of healing is one Wound per
week.
Natural healing and basic medical care:

Natural Healing: A character who receives no medical care will recover Wounds at a rate of one
per day, of Lightly Wounded, or one per week, if Heavily Wounded. If the GM feels particularly
nasty he may rule that lack of proper rest and food or such unhealthy environments as jungles will
reduce this rate. If it is important to know when the Wounds are recovered they are recovered by
the end of each day/week, usually when the character wakes up the next day.
The Heal Skill Lightly Wounded: A wounded character may receive the benefits of successful
use of this skill once per day, if Lightly Wounded, recovering 1d10 Wounds. Each healer may
make one attempt per day per wounded character, each attempt taking approximately fifteen
minutes. (Yes, this means that another healer may make an attempt if the first healer fails.) This
represents binding bruised ribs and sprains tightly, proper cleaning, minor stitching, smearing
ointments on burns and bandaging the injuries with clean fabric as well as making sure the
wounded character gets rest and water (or at least a severe lecture on the importance of taking it a
little easier the next time he picks a fight). If for some reason it is important to know when the
Wounds are recovered the GM may rule that they are recovered either the next morning or
incrementally throughout the next 24 hours.

The Heal Skill Heavily Wounded: A Heavily Wounded character may receive the benefits of
successful use of this skill once after each incident in which he has taken Wounds, whether already
Heavily Wounded or reduced to it by the fresh trauma, as well as once after each time he has
recovered one Wound through natural healing. This represents stitching up gaping slashes, the use
of big bandages and possibly a hot iron to disinfect and prevent further loss of blood, splinting bad
sprains and suspected fractures (although note that this does not represent the actual critical injury
fractures described later, merely indicating that the wounded character looks like a rather
miserable mummy, complete with groans, when the doctor is through with him), etc. Only one
attempt may be made per day, regardless of the number of available healers, and takes
approximately one hour. (Since it usually involves stitching and other procedures that cannot
easily be improved on once a healer is finished another healer cannot make his own attempt if the
first fails.) One Wound is recovered for each successful use and may be regarded as returned
immediately once the healer is finished.
Note that it doesnt really matter if the skill is aided by the Surgery Talent, which only provides a
bonus to the skill. The Talent will be essential for dealing with critical hits though, which will be
described later.
Healing Draught: A Healing Draught is basically a painkiller, usually a mix of laudanum,
weirdroot, alcohol and other drugs mixed with whatever herbs and other ingredients the
pharmacist or old midwife who made it thinks will do the patient any good. Although it doesnt
really heal any of the damaged tissue represented by the loss of Wounds it does allow you to forget
or ignore the fact that youre fatigued and in pain. This has the effect of, immediately upon
drinking it, restoring 4 Wounds to a Lightly Wounded character. It has no effect on a Heavily
Wounded person. If you drink two Draughts in a single day you suffer a -10% penalty to your Int,
WP and Fel, as you experience a mild high, starting to take great interest in the colour of the dirt
at your feet, telling your friends how much they mean to you and similarly odd behaviour.
Drinking three Draughts in a single day extends the penalty to your battle skills and Ag as well as
you start losing motor control as well as your common sense. In addition, there is a risk that you
become addicted to Draughts if you overindulge in this manner. Roll a Very Easy (+30%) T test
and a Very Easy (+30%) WP test. Should you fail both you have become addicted and will suffer a
penalty of -10% to your WP and Fel on each day that you do not get at least one Draught as you
become jittery, irritable and shaky.
A Draught is contained in a small clay or glass vessel, usually sealed with wax, and will last for
months without any loss of effectiveness even if stuffed into the bottom of some adventurers
pack.
Healing Poultice: A Poultice is mix of various substances with a mainly antimicrobial effect,
such as mouldy bread (a crude form of penicillin), spider webs and more or less poisonous
ingredients such as mercury that will hopefully kill off any bacteria before killing the patient.
These ingredients are added to a base of dung, boiled cow urine or some similar foul but easily
malleable gunk, resulting in a warm stinking sludge that is pressed onto an injury, carefully packed
into the wound and then tied in place with a piece of cloth or other suitable material (various
hedge wizards, druids and old crones insist that for best effect large leaves held in place with vines
or root fibres are required). This of course makes the wearer smell rather bad but may well save
his life. In the dirty and unhealthy world of WFRP all open wounds or similar injuries usually
produce copious pus and heal slowly due to the wound being contaminated with microorganisms.
Proper use of a Poultice will rid the injury of these and allow it to heal more quickly if used before
the wound has crusted over and begun closing on its own.

Poultices have no effect on Lightly Wounded characters, apart from the smell. A Heavily
Wounded character, if treated with a Poultice before he has had any chance to regain a Wound
from natural healing (usually one week), will halve the time it takes it to recover Wounds from
natural healing, from a week to 3 days. To effectively apply a poultice a successful Heal skill test
is required, which must be performed after the character has lost one or more Wounds (either
taking him to Heavily Wounded or making sure he stays Heavily Wounded after having already
been down to # Wounds or less before the new injury) but before he has regained any Wounds
from either natural or magical but not counting any Wounds regained from successful use of the
Heal skill. In fact, the healer may use the same test to both treat the character as described above
(recovering one Wound) and apply the Poultice. The Poultice stays on for one full day and a new
test may be attempted the next day if the first test failed, with a new Poultice. The benefit of the
Poultice lasts until the next time you take an injury or until you are no longer Heavily Wounded,
whichever comes first.
A Poultice needs to be fresh and cannot be stored in a pack for more than a few hours before
becoming useless. Ingredients can be bought for the same price as a ready Poultice but must be
prepared properly, mixing the substances together and finding a suitable base (usually from a
friendly cow) to boil down, which takes about half an hour and only needs either the Heal or Trade
(Apothecary or Herbalist) skill although no roll is necessary to prepare it, only to apply it.
Short Summary Wound levels, natural healing and basic medical care

If a character has between 0 and 3 Wounds left he is Heavily Wounded (HW); if he has 4 or
more but less than his full Wounds attribute he is Lightly Wounded (LW).

Natural healing recovers 1 Wound per day if the character is LW, per week if HW.

The Heal skill, if successfully used, recovers d10 Wounds if the character is LW, 1 Wound if
HW.

A Healing Draught recovers 4 Wounds if the character is LW, none if HW. Multiple
Draughts in a single day brings penalties. Draughts stores well.

A Healing Poultice doubles the natural healing rate if the character is HW. Poultices need
to be fresh.

Quick summary of the time it takes to go from 0 Wounds to 4 Wounds (and thus going from
Heavily Wounded to Lightly Wounded) depending on available aid:

Natural healing only: 4 weeks.

Natural healing plus Heal skill: 2 weeks (1W on the first day from the skill, 1W after the
first week from natural healing, then another 1W from a second use of the skill since you
have now benefitted from natural healing and can use it again, then the final 1W from
natural healing after a further one week).

Natural healing plus Heal skill and Poultice: one week (1W on the first day from the skill,
then 1W after 3 days from natural healing aided by Poultice, another 1W immediately
thereafter from a second use of the skill since you have now benefitted from natural

healing, then the last 1W from natural healing after a further 3 days).

Magic and Heal skill: three days (1W first day from Heal skill plus another 1W from a spell,
then a further 1W from additional spells once each day on the second and third day). See
below for further information on magical healing.
Magical Healing:

Magical healing is very effective but the various spells work in very different ways. Some of
them are more akin to advanced surgery than anything else while other merely lends the body
strength to speed up natural healing. The healing can be both a recovery of lost Wounds and, like
the use of the Surgery Talent, a means to mitigate the effects of critical hits. The different forms of
magical healing are divided into categories depending on what they do.
If not mentioned otherwise these spells can benefit an injured subject a maximum of once per
day or once after each encounter in which Wounds were lost (whichever is more often) for the
purpose of regaining lost Wounds. An unsuccessful casting may not be tried again by the same
caster if an initial attempt to cast fails, but another magician can also make the attempt, or (at the
GMs discretion) the original magician can use a Fortune Point to make another attempt.
For the purpose of mitigating the results of critical hits any number of successful spells may be
cast although this will not restore additional Wounds and unsuccessful attempts may not be
repeated by the same caster. Thus, if a character receives two critical hits during a fight, both
requiring magical attention in order not to, for example, bleed to death or have to live with a
crippled leg or whatever the effect was, he may receive the mitigating effects of a spell twice the
same day from the same caster, once for either injury, although hell only regain a single Wound
that day (since the damage was inflicted during a single encounter).
Any one spell performed to mitigate the results of critical effects affects all results stemming
from a single hit against that area. Most critical hits only have a single effect although some cause
multiple effects (such as both a muscle/tendon injury and heavy bleeding). All critical results
effects other than those caused by the same hit must be treated separately, even if inflicted against
the same area (such as two separate hits both causing critical results in the same arm). Ordinary
Wounds loss usually stems from multiple hits in multiple areas but for the purpose of regaining
lost Wounds this is disregarded. It might be seen as the magical energies of the spell diffusing
throughout the body in a diluted form to heal the blood-loss, fatigue and minor scrapes represented
by the loss of Wounds rather than the more focused energies used to repair the deeper and more
serious injuries represented by critical hits.

Quick-heal spells: These spells merely speed up the bodys natural healing processes while
doing little else. Thus, an improperly set fracture will heal crooked while large amounts of scar
tissue forming in an untreated wound may well result in reduced function. Their use is thus mainly
for recovering Wounds while their usefulness for treating critical hit effects is much reduced.
A quick-heal spell can heal only a maximum of 1 Wound at a time if the injured subject is
Heavily Wounded. If the subject is Lightly Wounded he recovers a number of Wounds as
described for each spell in the original rules.

This category of spells includes Blessing of Healing (Petty Divine Magic) and Rhyas Comfort
(Lore of Taal and Rhya).
Blessing of Healing (Petty Divine Magic) only works on Lightly Wounded characters but can be
combined with a more powerful spell on the same day, breaking the rule of being benefitted for the
purpose of regaining lost Wounds only once per day or encounter by magical healing. (The
purpose of this rule is to make this spell less unreasonably powerful compared to more powerful
and difficult spells when treating Heavily Wounded characters.)
Repair-heal spells: These spells do more than simply speed up the natural healing process. The
magician can sense the wrongness of the injury and guide the magical energies in such a way
that the ends of severed blood-vessels, tendons and muscle-fibres seek each other out, fractured
bones align and fuse, and internal organs mend. The magician does not necessarily understand
how the injured tissues and organs he senses work, or even what they do, but he can still make
sure that they regain their function.
A repair-heal spell can heal only a maximum of 1 Wound at a time if the injured subject is
Heavily Wounded, just as for quick-heal spells. They may also mitigate the effects of critical hits,
as described under the injuries section later.
This category of spells includes The Beast Made Well (Lore of Beasts), Healing of Hysh (Lore
of Light), Earth Blood (Lore of Life), Cure Wounds (Lore of Shallya) and Healing Hand (Lore of
Sigmar).
Miracle-heal spells: These spells are the most powerful healing spells available, not quite
capable of raising the dead but performing feats of healing, such as reattaching severed limbs and
repairing major nerve damage or horrific internal injuries, which are truly miraculous.
The effects of these spells are mainly that they more or less totally mitigate even severe effects
of critical hits, as described under the injuries section later. If the description of the spell in the
rules also includes the recovery of Wounds then there is no limit to the number of Wounds
regained even if the injured subject is Heavily Wounded.
Miracle-heal spells also ignore the usual rules regarding the necessity of having to treat multiple
critical effects separately. This kind of spell affects all critical effects a character is suffering from,
in many cases even partly or fully repairing older injuries.
This category of spells includes Boon of Hysh (Lore of Light) and Golden Tears (Lore of
Shallya). In the case of the latter spell it is suggested the GM allows it to be cast without a time
limit, just as if it was one of the more regular healing spells (unless specifically stated in either the
injury chapters or critical hit chart results). The reason behind this suggestion is that it seems
strange that the Shallyan Lore (dedicated to a goddess of healing) should be less useful and rather
limited in comparison to the spells of the Light College magical lore.
Special case spells: These are spells that fall into none of the above categories but have uses that
include helping the injured.
Cure Disease (Lore of Shallya) is extremely useful for all wounds that become infected. The
exact effects of this spell in any given situation are described under the injuries section later.
Cure Blight (Lore of Life) is a somewhat less powerful antimicrobial spell, granting 2d10
individuals a bonus of +20% on any T tests they have to take required by any infections (described
below) caused by wounds. For ordinary disease the effect is as described in the WFRP rulebook.

Cauterize (Lore of Fire) can be used to stop bleeding, at least if the injury is reachable by touch,
the situation becoming significantly more complicated if there is internal bleeding. The exact
effects in any given situation are described under blood loss part of the injuries section later.
Short summary on magical healing:

For the purpose of regaining lost Wounds a healing spell may be attempted only once by the
same caster for each day or encounter in which injury was suffered. If cast for the purpose
of mitigating critical hit effects any one caster may still only attempt to cast once per day/
encounter and injury (each injury being all the critical effects caused by a single hit) but is
allowed to cast any number of successful spells (once for each injury) for this purpose
although no further Wounds will be recovered.

Blessing of Healing (Petty Divine Magic) and Rhyas Comfort (Lore of Taal and Rhya) are
all so called Quick-heal spells, which does nothing but recover Wounds for the injured
subject, usually having little effect on critical hits effects. A maximum of 1 Wound can be
recovered per use if the subject is Heavily Wounded. Blessing of Healing (Petty Divine
Magic) only works on Lightly Wounded subjects.

The Beast Made Well (Lore of Beasts), Healing of Hysh (Lore of Light), Earth Blood (Lore
of Life), Cure Wounds (Lore of Shallya) and Healing Hand (Lore of Sigmar) are so called
Repair-heal spells, which apart from recovering Wounds can also mitigate the effects of
critical hits. A maximum of 1 Wound can be recovered per use if the subject is Heavily
Wounded.

Boon of Hysh (Lore of Light) and Golden Tears (Lore of Shallya) are so called Miracleheal spells, which have no limit on the number of Wounds recovered, whether Heavily
Wounded or not, and heavily mitigate the effects of critical hits. Unlike quick-heal and
repair-heal spells a single miracle-heal spell affects all critical effects a character is
suffering from.

Cure Disease (Lore of Shallya), Cure Blight (Lore of Life) and Cauterize (Lore of Fire) are
special case spells with special effects with regard to infections and bleeding, respectively.

Infections
Infections are divided into categories, some of which progress from one category to another as an
infection spreads, for example a local wound infection that turns into septicaemia.
Risk of infection from being Lightly Wounded: Normally no rolls are necessary to test for infection
when a character is Lightly Wounded. At the GMs discretion a test may be made if a Lightly
Wounded character received his injuries under particularly unhygienic circumstances, such as in a
sewer or fighting against Skaven, Undead or followers of Nurgle. In that case treat the character as
being Heavily Wounded for purposes of infection, described below.
Risk of infection from being Heavily Wounded: With deep wounds or major loss of skin or tissue the
body becomes much more vulnerable to infection. (Note that there is no extra penalty to any tests for
having taken a critical hit unless the critical hit result specifically mentions it. These rules effectively
replace the optional rules from the WFRP Companion supplement regarding wound and surgical
infections.)
The morning after an encounter in which Wounds were taken that brought the character to the
Heavily Wounded level he must pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test. If a successful Heal test has been
performed on him he may re-roll a failed test once. If a Healing Poultice has been successfully applied
he may re-roll a second time.
Failure means that his wounds have been infected and he will begin to suffer the effects of a Minor
Wound Infection. The location of the injury is unimportant unless the infection was caused by a
critical hit.
Minor Wound Infection: A minor infection gives fever and weakness. Though feeling quite
miserable, the character will be able to function, although with a penalty of -10% to all tests. The
effects will last for d10/2 days. After that time he will have to take a Very Easy (+30%) T test
(disregarding the -10% penalty) with the same re-rolls as before if a Heal test and/or Poultice has been
successfully applied at any time between the start of the infection and then. (If the rules for the number
of Heal tests allowed did not allow a new Heal test during that time an extra test may be made for the
purpose of treating the infection only and will not restore any further Wounds.) A successfully cast
Cure Disease or miracle-heal spell will immediately cure the infection completely. Surgery will have
no effects whatsoever at this stage.
If the new Toughness test is successful the character will recover completely with no further ill
effects. If the test is failed the infection will have spread and becomes a Septicaemia.
Septicaemia: This is what is sometimes called blood-poisoning or sepsis and refers to a systemic
infection in which bacteria have entered the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. It is an often
lethal condition for which only a strong constitution or magic will help.
Once Septicaemia sets in the characters condition rapidly progresses, gaining a penalty of an
additional -10% to all tests for each period equal to his TB in hours. Once the penalty reaches -30%
the next period makes him Helpless (as per the WFRP rules page 133), unable to perform any actions
while he grows delirious and burns with fever.
(The GM might permit the character to make a Hard (-20%) T or WP (whichever is higher) test per
turn, a success allowing him to perform a half-action on that turn. He may only attempt this for a
number of turns equal to his TB before he must rest (counting as helpless again) for ten turns before

making another attempt. If he spends a Fortune Point he gets to make a full action that turn. This will
allow even very sick characters a chance to react to events or perform heroic acts even while very ill.)
After d10 days of helplessness the character needs to pass a Hard (-20%) T test (disregarding the
previous penalties) or die. Sacrificing a Fate Point will automatically count as a success, of course! If
the character survives he will recover slowly, starting at a penalty of -30% to all tests and lessening
this penalty by 10% for each period of time equal to one week minus one day per each point of TB
(although no more often than once per day).
Poultices and Draughts will have no effects whatsoever. Surgery or normal Heal tests will not affect
the progress of Septicaemia. The bacteria have already spread and are multiplying while effective
ingested antibiotics are unknown in the Old World. A successful Cure Disease spell will counts as a
successful test and begin the recovery immediately, although starting at a penalty of only -20%. A
miracle-heal spell will cause an instant full recovery.
Abscess (local wound infection): This is a name for a pus-filled space forming when a deep
infection has been contained without spreading and becoming an outright septicaemia, and can result
from certain critical effects. Unlike the Minor Wound Infection the location of the causing injury is
important and it may be drained and cured through surgical means.
Although an abscess can form anywhere, for the purpose of these rules well deal only with those
located in the limbs and head. An abscess will contain aggressive bacteria that will eat away at the
tissues until defeated by the bodys immune system or it is drained which will create a less bacteriafriendly environment in the wound, allowing the body to battle the infection more effectively.
Sometimes nothing helps and septicaemia develops; sometimes bones and joints are eaten away and
largely destroyed before the infection departs.
If the Abscess forms in an arm the character will suffer a penalty of -20% to all tests performed with
that arm (-10% if performed with both arms) due to pain and swelling. If the Abscess forms in a leg
the character will suffer a penalty of -2 to M and -20% to Dodge Blow tests. If the Abscess forms in
the head area he will suffer a penalty -20% to any Int, WP or Fel tests due to severe headache and
fever.
After d10/2 days the character will have to make a T test. Success will mean the abscess will
disappear, with the penalties first halved and then totally gone after an additional d10/2 days. Failure
will mean that the abscess remains and new tests will have to be made each d10/2 days until the
infection has resolved one way or another. Failure by more than three degrees (meaning you failed the
roll by more than 30%) will mean the infection has started to eat away at joints, bones and other
tissues, making the penalty to any arm or leg permanent, while an Abscess located in the head area
will become a Meningitis as well as permanently lower the characters Fel by -20% due to horrible
scarring with parts of the face or skull missing, assuming he survives. If this happens to a limb
Abscess the character will have to make a new T test after an additional d10/2 days. Failure will result
in Septicaemia while success means the infection is gone, though the permanent penalties remain due
to the damage done.
A Cure Disease spell will immediately cure an abscess at any stage, although any permanent
penalties will remain. Any miracle-cure spells with not only cure the abscess but also remove any
permanent penalties caused by it. (It is suggested the Golden Tears spell be allowed on any character
who still suffers from an ongoing infection.) A repair-heal spell cast on a limb or head suffering
permanent penalties will halve the penalty if cast within four weeks of the penalty debut.
A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent (which will take approximately fifteen minutes
including puncturing the abscess with a sharp knife, kneading the swelling to make sure you get all the

pus out and then washing the wound with alcohol; if the abscess has caused permanent penalties a
much more thorough operation with removal of all dead tissue will be necessary, taking at least one
hour) will heal the abscess, although any permanent penalties will remain. A Poultice will have no
extra effect since the injury will be too deep for packing with a Poultice. A Draught will have no effect
at all.
(A character with only the Heal skill without the Surgery Talent may attempt puncturing an Abscess
before it has caused permanent penalties. This test will count as Difficult (-10%) and failure will result
in the wounded subject suffering a penalty of -10% to his next Abscess-induced T test due to having
introduced new bacteria into the wound.)
Meningitis: Meningitis is an infection of the brain (strictly speaking of the surrounding membranes)
and can rapidly progress to be lethal within a matter of hours (strictly speaking it depends on the
bacteria in question but Im writing for dramatic effect here). It can occur either as a result of direct
injury to the cranial area with ensuing contamination, or as a result of an infection elsewhere
spreading.
Meningitis works exactly like a Septicaemia except hell have to roll for survival after 3d10 hours
rather than d10 days once helpless. Mundane and magical healing has the same effects or lack of
effects.
If the character survives there is a risk of brain damage. Unless he passes a Very Easy (+30%) T test
hell have to roll d10 and consult the chart below:
1-5 My head hurts: A few brain cells died but they were not any important ones. If the GM feels
sadistic he may decide that the character has lost a minor memory or two, suddenly discovering that he
doesnt know his address or some such annoying occurrence later on.
6 Cognitive Impairment: The character suffers the loss of a few IQ points, reducing his Int
characteristic by d10%.
7 Motor Skill Reduction: The character suffers a loss of balance and dexterity due to damage to his
cerebellum (hind brain), reducing his Ag characteristic by d10%.
8 Speech Loss: Although still capable of making all the right sounds, the character can no longer
produce adequate sentences and words due to damage to his speech centre. He becomes effectively
mute. (Strictly speaking you rarely see an isolated expressive aphasia like this since there is usually
also a loss of receptive as well as expressive function when this area is damaged but that is too hard to
both represent in rules and to role-play, and Im aiming for dramatic effect here)
9 Partial Paralysis: One side of the characters body suffers a loss of strength and coordination. (Flip
a coin for which side.) Although not completely paralyzed, he will suffer a penalty of -10% to all
physical attributes and tests, doubling the penalty if an action is completely dependent on the limbs
from the affected side (such as using a weapon in the affected hand) and halving his M characteristic,
counting all Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%).
10 Major Brain Damage: The poor character turns into a vegetable, suffering a reduction of -30% to
all his mental attributes, slipping into a permanent coma if any of them is reduced below zero.
Only miracle-heal spells can heal brain damage injuries, and the GM should rule that they must be
performed within days or weeks of the debut (in the case of the Golden Tears spell while the infection
is still ongoing) or they will become permanent regardless of any magic (although sacrificing a Fate
Point will do the trick). The GM who feels nice may also declare that some sorts of physical therapy

(practically unknown in the Old World except possibly among Elven healers or mystical Cathayan
monks) can mitigate the effects over time.
(Whenever physical attributes are mentioned, this refers to WS, BS, S, T and Ag while M, W and
A are unaffected unless specifically specified. Likewise, mental attributes does not include Mag but
only Int, WP and Fel.)
Pneumonia: Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, resulting in fluids gathering in the lung and
making breathing more difficult. Although usually caused by person-to-person contact or secondary to
some other illness or weakness of the body (such as a flu) it can also happen due to injury, often as a
secondary effect due to person not being able to take deep breaths or cough, for example due to rib
fractures, which will allow bacteria to accumulate and multiply in the airways.
A character with Pneumonia will be weak and feverish, with laboured breathing and usually a nasty
cough that produces lots of phlegm and/or pus. Hell suffer a penalty of -20% to all tests. After d10/2
days hell have to pass a Routine (+10%) T test (disregarding the -20% penalty) or progress to full
Septicaemia (where hell already be at the -20% stage). If he passes hell recover and the penalty will
decrease at a rate of 5% for each full day of rest.
Mundane healing, Draughts and Poultices have no effect. A successful Cure Disease or miracle-heal
type spell will instantly cure a Pneumonia, the former at a recovery rate twice as fast, the latter with
instant recovery.
Short summary on infections:

A Heavily Wounded character must pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test or suffer a Minor
Wound Infection. Successful Heal tests or use of Poultices allow re-rolls. If infected he will
suffer a penalty of -10% to all tests and have to make another test in d10/2 days to recover.
Failure means the infection progresses to Septicaemia.

Septicaemia increases the penalty by an extra -10% per TB hours until it has reached -30%
whereupon the character becomes Helpless. After d10 days he will have to pass a Hard
(-20%) T test to survive, recovering at a rate of 10% per (7-TB) days. Only the Cure Disease
spell or a miracle-heal spell is an effective treatment.

An Abscess will result from some critical hit results and gives a penalty of -20% to any tests
requiring use of the limb affected (-20% to Int, WP and Fel if the head is affected), also
taking a penalty of -2 to his M if a leg is affected. The character will have to pass a T test
after d10/2 days to recover, recovering at a rate of first half the penalty upon passing the test
and the rest of the penalty after d10/2 days. Failure means the Abscess remains and a new
test must be made after d10/2 days. Failure by more than three degrees will cause a leg or
arm infection to suffer a permanent penalty and a head infection to progress to Meningitis
as well as cause a permanent penalty of -20% to Fel due to scarring. If a limb suffers
permanent penalties an additional T test must be passed after d10/2 days to heal the Abscess
or the infection will become a Septicaemia. Either a successful Cure Disease spell or Heal
test with the Surgery Talent will heal an Abscess but any permanent penalty already
incurred will remain. Miracle-heal spells will completely erase both infection and any
permanent penalties. Repair-heal spells will halve the permanent penalty if cast within four
weeks.

Meningitis works like Septicaemia except a roll for survival is required after 3d10 hours
rather than d10 days and there is a risk of brain damage.

Pneumonia causes a penalty of -20%. After d10/2 days a Routine (+10%) T test will have to
be passed to recover at a rate of 5% for each full day of rest. Failure will result in
Septicaemia. The Cure Disease or any miracle-heal spell will instantly cure Pneumonia, the
former at a recovery rate twice as fast, the latter with instant recovery.

Critical Hit Effects

This chapter deals with the various forms of injury that may result from a critical hit. They are
divided into categories such as fractures, bleeding, etc. Each category is dealt with in regard to effects
on the injured subject and the various means with which to treat the injury in order to mitigate its
effects. Note that is possible for a critical hit to inflict multiple kinds of injury at the same time, such
as added bleeding due to other trauma.
Each section lists a particular form of injury, such as fractures, usually also dividing each form into
several degrees of severity. Each subsection then describes the effects of the injury and the various
ways in which to deal with it depending on available forms of healing.
IMPORTANT! Generally, penalties from various different injuries are not cumulative. For any given
situation you use the most severe penalty. If your arm is badly slashed it doesnt really matter much if
youre also bleeding heavily or are suffering the effects of a collapsed lung when you try to take a
swing at an opponent. The exception is injuries to the same limb where damage to different
subsystems would combine to make life even more difficult for the poor victim, although the GM
may choose to ignore this to make things simpler. Thus, having your arm both fractured (Fracture) and
badly slashed (Muscle/Tendon Damage) would result in a double penalty when trying to use it. Other
penalties stemming from injuries to other parts of the body would not further affect the function of the
arm unless the penalties from them were more severe than the arm injuries.
IMPORTANT! Although the text makes frequent references to penalties to all tests this DOES
NOT AFFECT TOUGHNESS TESTS unless it is specifically mentioned in the text! Since many T test
are taken for various causes while suffering penalties of one degree or another, this would make such
tests too difficult. Also, a penalty to tests DOES NOT AFFECT ATTRIBUTES OR SECONDARY
ATTRIBUTES DERIVED FROM THEM! Thus a penalty to Strength tests does not affect SB, unless
specifically mentioned in the test. If the penalty is to the attribute score directly the text will state this.
Important terms!
Time to heal period this is a term that refers to the time it takes for a critical injury to heal.
There is a default time which may be altered, usually by magic (which will speed it up or even end it)
or surgery (which will usually require the period to start all over again from day one). The sections for
each type of injury will tell if the injured limb or body part can used at all during the time to heal
period and if any permanent penalties remain afterwards.
Fine manipulation this refers to manual dexterity; the kind needed to pick locks, perform
surgery, write legibly and similar tasks. The GM has the final say in what this includes. If only one
hand is affected by penalties (as in the case of most injury-related penalties) it is suggested that the
penalty be halved if the character can make reasonable use of his other hand in aid of the task.
Improperly healed this refers to an injury where the healing process is over but has not managed
to give the subject his full function back. This term thus applies after the time to heal period is over. If
the text instead speaks of having begun to heal improperly the time to heal period is not yet over but
will result in reduced function once it is, unless successful (usually surgical or magical) measures are
taken. Note that after the time to heal period, you are indeed healed, just not successfully so. The
opposite of an improperly healed injury is of course a properly healed injury, usually causing no
permanent penalties after the time to heal period.

Battle skill this refers to WS and BS, most penalties affecting both. The GM might rule that any
penalty to battle skill also affects WP for purposes such as Channelling tests to make sure magic-users
also get penalized by injuries.

FRACTURES
The first section of this chapter is a rant on what fractures represent, mostly in order to give the
average real world reader an idea of why they are bad things to happen in the Old World where good
orthopaedics dont really exist. For a detailed look on the rules, skip the first section and go straight
to Minor Fractures. For a considerably briefer look at the rules, go straight to the short summary. If
you hate rules, go to the simplified version placed last in the chapter. If youre the GM and dont want
to bother with keeping track of the various injuries of lowly Goblin opponents, go to the Sword
Fodder Version Rules.
The Fluff:
A fracture is a broken bone. The two ends of the fractured bone may be more or less dislocated from
each other or the fracture may be stable with little dislocation, the ends fitting together nicely in less
complicated cases. Since the bones are attachment points for muscles the muscles lose their ability to
apply leverage when what was formerly a stable platform for that leverage suddenly comes loose;
trying to use a limb with a fracture is not merely painful but may cause additional damage as fractured
stumps grind against each other or tear up surrounding tissues. A fracture in a limb thus results in
complete loss of function until healed.
The reduced function of an improperly healed fracture (and the body can usually make even two
extremely misaligned ends fuse even though the healed bone may well look like a pretzel) is a result of
many things, including muscles that can no longer apply proper leverage due to the attachment points
suddenly being more or less misplaced, damage to joints due to a whole new load situation that they
are not designed to take, etc.
Most people with the Heal skill in WFRP have experience setting and splinting fractures but
sometimes more intimate knowledge of skeletal anatomy and assessing a fractures arrangement, both
before and after attempts at setting, as well as techniques for more complicated immobilization and
splinting, is required. This is represented by the Surgery Talent and use of it does not necessarily
involve an actual operation.
Fracture (Arm): A fractured arm is useless for most tasks except possibly some minor use of the
fingers, although very little in the way of force can be applied. If the fracture is of the lower arm it
usually is enough to splint the lower arm although a sling greatly helps to immobilize it and keep it out
of further harms way. An upper arm fracture requires a sling since having it dangling is simply too
painful.
Fracture (Hand): A fractured hand is useless for fine manipulation and combat since it cannot
properly grip anything. The most that can be accomplished is tucking objects under the arm or nudging
and pushing them across a surface since the rest of the arm retains its function.
Fracture (Leg): A fractured leg cannot be used for walking or supporting oneself. Properly splinting
a fracture of the lower leg usually includes immobilizing the foot and sometimes the knee joint since
the muscles directing them attach to the lower leg in such a way as to make use painful. Likewise, a
fracture of the upper leg is best handled lying down and keeping still since splinting the hip joint
between leg and body is effectively impossible.

Fracture (Foot): This can represent anything from a severe sprain to a complicated fracture of the
many bones inside the foot. Like a fractured leg, a fractured foot cannot be used for walking or
supporting oneself. An improperly healed foot fracture can be very painful as the whole weight of the
body tries to rest on the disordered remains of what was a very remarkably designed load bearing
structure.
Fracture (Hip): This is break either of the uppermost part of the femur in one of several possible
ways, although for the purpose of these rules the term also includes fractures of the pelvic part of the
joint, the cup that holds the femur in place against the rest of the pelvis.
Minor Fracture:
This represents a fracture with little dislocation or in some part of the body that tends to correct any
misalignment on its own over time, such as greenstick fractures or uncomplicated wrist and ankle
fractures.
Default time to heal is four weeks for a Minor Fracture. If properly healed full function is regained;
until then the character is effectively one-armed or one-legged (although see the rules for crutches in
the Loss of Limb chapter). Improper healing will result in a penalty of -5% to battle skills (for an arm);
or any tests requiring fine manipulation but not to battle skills (for a hand); or a permanent reduction
of -1 to M (for a leg or foot).
Natural healing: The character must pass an Easy (+20%) T test at the end of the first week for the
fracture to heal properly. A successful Heal test performed within that first week will count as an
automatic success and no T test will be necessary. If the character spends a significant amount of time
(GMs call) in activities that will not allow the fractured limb enough rest and immobilization (such as
sitting on a horse with a leg fracture) the time to heal will double.
Surgical healing: If the fracture has begun to heal improperly a Heal test with the Surgery Talent
may be performed at any time during the time to heal period after the first week, involving deliberately
re-fracturing the bone. This requires the time to heal period to start all over again but a successful test
will allow full function to be regained once the fracture has healed. Failure will result in so much extra
callus forming that any additional tests will suffer a cumulative penalty of -20% for each failed
previous attempt. Failure by more than three levels (meaning you missed the roll by more than 30%)
will make the Minor Fracture count as a Major Fracture.
Magical healing: Any quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time to heal, reducing it by half
again for additional successful casting, down to a total minimum of of the original time (one week).
Any repair-heal spell performed before the fracture has healed will allow full function to be regained
immediately. Any miracle-heal spell performed at any time, even long after the fracture has healed,
will immediately restore function and remove any penalties caused by the Minor Fracture.
Major Fracture:
This represents a more complicated fracture requiring proper setting and splinting in order not to
heal crookedly in such a way as to cause severe impairment in form of stiffness and limited mobility.
Default time to heal is six weeks for a Major Fracture. If properly healed full function is regained;
until then the character is effectively one-armed or one-legged (although see the rules for crutches in
the Loss of Limb chapter). Improper healing will result in a penalty of -10% to battle skills (for an
arm); or -10% to battle skills and -10% to any tests requiring fine manipulation (for a hand); or a
permanent reduction of -1 to M and a penalty of -10% to all Dodge Blow tests (for a leg or foot).

Natural healing: A successful Difficult (-10%) Heal test performed within the first week of healing
will be required for the fracture to heal properly. If the character spends a significant amount of time
(GMs call) in activities that will not allow the fractured limb enough rest and immobilization (such as
sitting on a horse with a leg fracture) the time to heal will double.
Surgical healing: If the fracture has begun to heal improperly a Heal test with the Surgery Talent
may be performed at any time during the time to heal period after the first week, involving deliberately
re-fracturing the bone. This requires the time to heal period to start all over again but a successful test
will halve the permanent penalties once the fracture has healed. (The penalty to M will disappear if the
success was by two levels or more.) Failure will result in so much callus forming that no more
attempts may be made.
Magical healing: Any quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time to heal; this only applies once.
Any repair-heal spell performed during the first week will ensure proper healing without permanent
penalties; if performed after the first week but before the time to heal period has ended it will halve
any penalties incurred by improper healing and halve the remaining time to heal; if performed after the
fracture has healed it will have no effect. Any miracle-heal spell performed during the time to heal
period will immediately end the time to heal period and remove any penalties caused by the Major
Fracture; if performed after the time to heal period it will immediately halve any permanent penalties.
Severe Fracture:
This represents a horrific injury with multiple fragments of bone, utterly smashed joints, jagged ends
of bone piercing the flesh, or similar very complicated fractures. If untended, such an injury will lead
to gangrene and death unless an amputation is performed.
There is no default time to heal since such an injury cannot heal by itself. With blood-vessels and
nerves damaged and bacteria thriving in the ruined and dying tissues only strong magic can rescue the
injured limb. The character is effectively one-armed or one-legged (although see the rules for crutches
in the Loss of Limb chapter).
Natural healing: If left untended gangrene will set in within 10/2 days, which means the character
will suffer the effects of Septicaemia. However, as long as the source of the gangrene (meaning the
injured limb) remains to continually feed the infection, no recovery is possible! Successful tests for
survival will merely mean that the character remains in a helpless state and will have to roll again the
next day, never gaining more than one extra day of survival for each success. (Sacrificing a Fate Point
for survival at this stage will always mean that an amputation was somehow performed.)
Surgical healing: An amputation may be performed at any time. This requires a successful Heal test
with the Surgery Talent. If successfully performed before Septicaemia sets in, the subject must pass a
Normal T test or suffer a Minor Wound Infection (see the Infections chapter). If Septicaemia has
already set in he will gain a +20% bonus to his test for surviving the Septicaemia (meaning the bonus
will cancel out the test being Hard, making it a Normal T test). An amputation may be performed
without the Talent or even the Heal skill, usually with a big axe and a source of fire for cauterization,
but this will require that the subject of this rough-and-ready battlefield amputation pass a Normal T
test or die from shock and blood loss, after which he will still have to roll for infection, just as with the
surgically performed variety.
Magical healing: The Cure Disease spell will grant the subject one extra day of survival, but will
not cure the Septicaemia unless the injured limb is first removed, but will cure any infection
afterwards. Quick-heal spells are useless. Successful use of any repair-heal spell will remove the
injury as an ongoing source of infection (because the bacteria will no longer have all that dead tissue
to thrive in, meaning the subject will recover normally from Septicaemia if making a successful test

for survival, although note that the repair-heal spell does not cure the infection which is separate from
the injury) but will leave the limb numb and crippled with a total loss of function. A miracle-heal spell
will immediately cure both any infection and restore some of the limbs function, leaving the character
with a penalty of -20% to battle skills and tests requiring fine manipulation (for an arm) or -2 to M and
-20% to Dodge Blow tests (for a leg).
Hip Fracture:
These fractures are nasty special cases because of the difficulty of setting them properly, and tend to
heal crookedly with a resulting loss in mobility. (Modern surgery involves removing and replacing the
whole joint with artificial materials, a rather messy operation where you dig deeply into the poor
patient, something the surgeons in the Old World lack both the skills and technology to do.) They
mostly happen to the elderly and are a rare occurrence in the critical hit charts.
Default time to heal is six weeks. An improperly healed Hip Fracture will result in a penalty of -2 to
M and -20% to all Dodge Blow tests. Until healed, the character is effectively one-legged (although
see the rules for crutches in the Loss of Limb chapter).
Natural healing: If the character passes a Difficult (-10%) T test after the first week, the permanent
penalty for an improperly healed Hip Fracture is halved once the fracture has healed. Passing the test
by more than two levels (more than 20%) will result in a complete recovery without penalties once the
fracture has healed. Failure will incur the full penalty after the time to heal period.
Surgical healing: With access to both the Surgery Talent and equipment for traction (basically a bed
in which the subject has to stay for the whole healing time period, with the leg attached to a weight by
a rope strung across a pulley to hold the leg stretched) a Hard (-20%) Heal test may be attempted if
applied within the first week. Success will decrease the penalty as for Natural Healing, including the
chance of full recovery for two levels of success.
Magical healing: Any quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time to heal; this only applies once.
Any repair-heal spell performed during the first week will ensure proper healing without permanent
penalties; if performed after the first week but before the time to heal period has ended it will halve
any penalties incurred by improper healing and halve the remaining time to heal; if performed after the
fracture has healed it will have no effect. Any miracle-heal spell performed during the time to heal
period will immediately restore function and remove any penalties caused by the Major Fracture; if
performed after the time to heal period it will immediately halve any permanent penalties.
Short summary of Fractures:
Minor Fracture: Default time to heal is four weeks. An improperly healed fracture will cause a
penalty of -5% to tests requiring use of that hand/arm or -1 to M for an improperly healed leg.

Minor Fracture, Natural Healing: An Easy (+20%) T test is required after the first week for
proper healing. A successful Heal test performed within that time also suffices.

Minor Fracture, Surgical Healing: If a fracture has begun to heal improperly a successful
Heal test with the Surgery Talent at any time during the time to heal period after the first
week will require the time to heal period to start all over again but will allow full function to
be regained once the fracture has healed. Failure will result in a cumulative penalty of
-20% to further tests. Failure by more than three levels will make the Minor Fracture count
as a Major Fracture.

Minor Fracture, Magical Healing: Any quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time to
heal, to a minimum of one week total. Any repair-heal spell performed before the fracture
has healed will allow full function to be regained immediately. Any miracle-heal spell
performed at any time, even long after the fracture has healed, will immediately restore full
function.

Major Fracture: Default time to heal is six weeks. An improperly healed fracture will cause a
penalty of -10% to tests requiring use of that hand/arm or a -1 to M and -10% to all Dodge Blow
tests for an improperly healed leg fracture.

Major Fracture, Natural Healing: A successful Difficult (-10%) Heal test is required during
the first week of the time to heal period for proper healing.

Major Fracture, Surgical Healing: If a fracture has begun to heal improperly a successful
Heal test with the Surgery Talent at any time during the time to heal period after the first
week will require the time to heal period to start all over again but will halve any permanent
penalties caused by the fracture (removing the -1 M penalty if the success was by two levels
or more). Failure will make further attempts impossible.

Major Fracture, Magical Healing: Any quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time to
heal once, to a minimum of three weeks. Any repair-heal spell performed during the first
week will ensure proper healing; if performed after the first week but before the time to heal
period has ended it will halve any penalties incurred by improper healing and halve the
remaining time to heal; if performed after the fracture has healed it will have no effect. Any
miracle-heal spell performed during the time to heal period will immediately restore full
function; if performed after the time to heal period it will immediately halve any permanent
penalties.

Severe Fracture: No recovery is allowed from Septicaemia induced by a Severe Fracture

unless the limb is amputated or healed with a repair-heal or miracle-heal spell.

Severe Fracture, Natural Healing: Septicaemia from gangrene will set in after d10/2 days.
Successful rolls to survive merely grants one extra day of life per roll.

Severe Fracture, Surgical Healing: Amputation requires a successful Heal test with the
Surgery Talent, granting a Normal T test to avoid a Minor Wound Infection if performed
before Septicaemia sets in, or a +20% bonus to the roll to survive Septicaemia if it has
already set in. An amputation may be performed without either Surgery Talent or Heal skill
but this will require that the subject pass a Normal T test or die from shock and blood loss,
after which he will still have to roll for infection.

Severe Fracture, Magical Healing: The Cure Disease spell will count as a successful role to
survive the Septicaemia, but will not cure it unless the injured limb is first removed or
healed by a repair-heal or miracle-heal spell. Quick-heal spells have no effect. Successful
use of any repair-heal spell will remove the injury as an ongoing source of infection
(meaning the subject may roll to recover from Septicaemia normally) but will leave the limb
numb and crippled with a total loss of function. A miracle-heal spell will immediately cure
both any infection and restore some of the limbs function, leaving the character with a
penalty of -20% to battle skills and tests requiring fine manipulation (for an arm) or -2 to M
and -20% to Dodge Blow tests (for a leg).

Hip Fracture: See main text, since this is such an unusual injury not deserving of taking up
space in a short summary.

Alternate simplified version of Fractures:

A Minor Fracture incapacitates a limb for four weeks. If no successful Heal tests are
performed within one week this period increases to six weeks due to improper splinting and
bandaging. A quick-heal spell will halve the time. A repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will
immediately restore full function.

A Major Fracture incapacitates a limb for six weeks and will afterwards cause a permanent
penalty of -10% to all tests requiring use of the arm or -1 to M and -10% to Dodge Blow
tests, depending on whether it happened to an arm or a leg. A successful Heal test with the
Surgery Talent or any repair-heal or miracle-heal spell performed during the incapacitation
period will remove this penalty. A quick-heal spell will halve the incapacitation period but
not remove any penalties.

A Severe Fracture requires either amputation or healing by a repair-heal or miracle-heal

spell. Until that happens the subject will have to start rolling T tests for survival every day
after d10/2 days as gangrene sets in. A repair-heal spell will stop the gangrene but the limb
will be useless. A miracle-heal spell will immediately restore full function.

A Hip Fracture incapacitates the leg for six weeks and will afterwards cause a penalty of -2
to M and -20% to Dodge Blow tests. A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent, repairheal or miracle-heal spell will remove any penalties, although the two former only if
performed within the incapacitation period.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

A Minor Fracture incapacitates the limb and forces the NPC to pass a WP test or retreat
from the battle.

A Major Fracture makes the NPC fall to the ground clutching his injury, effectively stunned
for the duration of the battle.

A Severe Fracture makes the NPC helpless for the duration of the battle and it may be
assumed he doesnt live long afterwards.

MUSCLE/TENDON DAMAGE
This chapter deals with severe damage to muscles and the tendons attaching muscles to the
underlying bone. Some injury to muscle tissue might take place even at the Lightly Wounded and
Heavily Wounded but not yet critical stages but are at that level only minor flesh-wounds rather than
incapacitating injuries that partly or wholly sever entire muscles or muscle groups.
Compared to fractures these injuries can be seen as less serious at first glance, often allowing some
degree of function that would have been impossible with a fracture, due to other muscle-groups or
remaining muscle-fibres taking up some of the strain. On the other hand, the thing about severed
muscles and tendons is that they tend to remain severed, the ends shrivelling up and contracting away
from each other unless expertly reattached through surgical or magical means. Thus, although the
immediate effects may be less, the loss of function may be more enduring.
Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage:
This represents either a major gash in an important muscle that parts a large fraction of its musclefibres but does not entirely sever it, or damage to tendons that does not entirely sever them.
Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage (Arm) results in a penalty of -20% to all tests based on battle skills
or S (including when calculating SB) although that penalty may be halved when performing tasks that
require both hands (such as wielding a two-handed weapon).
Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage (Hand) results in a penalty of -20% to all tests based on battle skills
or requiring fine manipulation although that penalty may be halved when performing tasks that require
both hands (such as wielding a two-handed weapon or picking a lock).
Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage (Leg) results in a penalty of -2 to M and -20% to Dodge Blow tests,
as well as any tests requiring extensive use of the legs, such as climbing.
The default time to heal is four weeks after which the penalty is halved for a further four weeks
before disappearing entirely as the injured muscles regain their former strength.
Natural Healing: Successful application of a Healing Poultice will reduce the first time to heal
period to three weeks. Apart from that no further benefit is possible from the Heal skill unless it is
performed with the aid of the Surgery Talent since the healer lacks the skill and knowledge to do the
special stitching required adapting and closing torn muscle rather than merely stitching the skin.
Surgical healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent will reduce the first time to heal
period to two weeks if performed within the first week of receiving the injury.
Magical healing: A quick-heal spell will halve either the first or second time to heal period,
depending on when it is performed; both periods if performed twice. A repair-heal spell will instantly
end either the first or second time to heal period, depending on when it is performed; both periods if
performed twice. A miracle-heal spell will instantly remove all penalties.
Major Muscle/Tendon Damage:
This represents either a major muscle or important tendons being entirely severed with the ends
completely separated.
Major Muscle/Tendon Damage (Arm) results in a penalty of -30% to all tests based on battle skills
or S (including when calculating SB) although that penalty may be halved when performing tasks that
require both hands (such as wielding a two-handed weapon).

Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage (Hand) results in a penalty of -30% to all tests based on battle skills
or requiring fine manipulation although that penalty may be halved when performing tasks that require
both hands (such as wielding a two-handed weapon or picking a lock).
Minor Muscle/Tendons Damage (Leg) results in a penalty of -2 to M and -30% to Dodge Blow tests,
as well as any tests requiring extensive use of the legs, such as climbing.
The default time to heal is four weeks after which the penalty is reduced to -20% to tests and -1 to M
respectively, which will be permanent.
Natural healing: Successful application of a Healing Poultice will reduce the time to heal period to
three weeks. Apart from that no further benefit is possible from the Heal skill unless it is performed
with the aid of the Surgery Talent since the healer lacks the skill and knowledge to do the special
stitching required adapting and closing torn muscle rather than merely stitching the skin.
Surgical healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent will reduce the permanent penalty
to -10% to tests and no penalty to M if performed within the first week after receiving the injury.
Magical healing: A quick-heal spell will halve the time to heal period but will not reduce any
penalties. A repair-heal spell will reduce the permanent penalty to -10% to tests and no penalty to M if
performed at any time within the time to heal period. A miracle-heal spell will remove all penalties if
performed within the time to heal period or reduce the permanent penalty to -10% to tests and no
penalty to M if performed later.
Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage:
This represents damage affecting an entire muscle group, severely limiting function in the injured
limb, such as severing the hamstrings entirely or cutting all the tendons on the back of the hand.
Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage (Arm) results in the arm becoming effectively useless, although
some limited mobility remains (such as being able to extend the arm without being able to flex it). The
fingers are still working and the hand can still grip. This will make it impossible to, for example, wield
a sword although its still possible to hold it dangling by ones side.
Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage (Hand) results in the hand becoming effectively useless for most
manipulation and gripping even if some fingers can still either flex or extend to a limited degree.
Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage (Leg) results in the leg becoming effectively useless for anything
but hopping on one leg at an M of 1 (although see the section on crutches in the Loss of Limb
chapter). The leg can still, with some difficulty, be used for supporting ones weight but cannot exert
enough strength to properly walk or run.
There is no default time to heal since this loss of function is permanent without surgical or magical
intervention.
Natural healing: Although Heal tests and Healing Poultices will reduce the risk of infection, as
described in the Infections chapter, there are no further benefits.
Surgical healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent will reduce the loss of function
from total to the level of the penalties described under Major Muscle/Tendon (i.e. -30% to tests and -2
to M). This test must be performed within the first week after taking the injury and the reduction will
come into effect six weeks after the test (effectively a time to heal period of six weeks), remaining
permanently thereafter.

Magical healing: A quick-heal spell will have no effect on the loss of function; instead it will count
as one week having already passed after receiving the injury, making further surgical healing
impossible and limiting the time available for effective magical healing with more powerful spells. A
repair-heal spell performed within four weeks after taking the injury will have the same effect as
successful surgical healing, as described above. A miracle-heal spell performed within four weeks after
taking the injury will restore function completely; if performed at any time after that it will have the
same effect as successful surgery. (In these cases the time to heal period represents slowly regaining
muscle strength rather than actual heal time.)
Short summary on Muscle/Tendon Damage:
Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage: Default time to heal is four weeks. Until that time has passed the
injury causes a penalty of -20% to all tests requiring use of the injured arm/hand (including for
calculation of SB); -20% to Dodge Blow tests and -2 to M for an injured leg; after the time to heal
period the penalty is halved; after a further time to heal period the penalty disappears entirely.

Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage, Natural Healing: Successful use of a Healing Poultice

reduces the first period to three weeks.

Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage, Surgical Healing: Successful use of the Heal skill with the
Surgery Talent reduces the first period to two weeks if performed within one week after
receiving the injury.

Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will halve either
period, depending on when it is performed; both if performed twice. A repair-heal spell will
instantly end either period, depending on when it is performed; both if performed twice. A
miracle-heal spell will instantly remove all penalties.

Major Muscle/Tendon Damage: Default time to heal is four weeks. Until that time has passed the
injury causes a penalty of -30% to all tests requiring use of the injured arm/hand (including for
calculation of SB); -30% to Dodge Blow tests and -2 to M for an injured leg; after the time to heal
period the penalty is halved but the remaining penalty is permanent.

Major Muscle/Tendon Damage, Natural Healing: Successful application of a Healing

Poultice will reduce the time to heal period to three weeks.

Major Muscle/Tendon Damage, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery
Talent will reduce the permanent penalty to -10% to tests and no penalty to M if performed
within the first week after receiving the injury.

Major Muscle/Tendon Damage, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will halve the time to
heal period. A repair-heal spell will reduce the permanent penalty to -10% to tests and no
penalty to M if performed within the time to heal period. A miracle-heal spell will remove all
penalties if performed within the time to heal period or reduce the permanent penalty to
-10% to tests and no penalty to M if performed later.

Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage: This cripples the affected limb permanently unless surgical
or magical healing is provided.

Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage, Natural Healing: No benefit.

Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery
Talent performed within one week of taking the injury will, after a time to heal period of six

weeks, reduce the loss of function from total to the level of the penalties described under
Major Muscle/Tendon (i.e. -30% to tests and -2 to M).

Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will have no effect on
the loss of function; instead it will count as one week having already passed after receiving
the injury, making further surgical healing impossible and limiting the time available for
effective magical healing with more powerful spells. A repair-heal spell performed within
four weeks after taking the injury will have the same effect as successful surgical healing,
as described above. A miracle-heal spell performed within four weeks after taking the injury
will restore function completely; if performed at any time after that it will merely have the
same effect as successful surgery.

Alternate simplified version of Muscle/Tendon Damage:

Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage causes a penalty of -20% to all tests requiring use of the
affected limb (including -20% to Dodge Blow tests and -2 to M if the affected limb is a leg).
This penalty is halved after four weeks and disappears after a further four weeks. Surgical
healing or a quick-heal spell will halve the time; a repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will
immediately restore full function.

Major Muscle/Tendon Damage will make the affected limb useless for four weeks. After that
it will cause a permanent penalty of -20% to all tests requiring use of the affected limb
(including -20% to Dodge Blow tests and -2 to M if the affected limb is a leg). Surgical
healing or a repair-heal spell will halve the penalty. A miracle-heal spell will remove the
penalty altogether.

Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage will make the affected limb permanently useless. Surgical
healing or a repair-heal spell will turn the injury into a Major Muscle/Tendon Damage. A
miracle-heal spell will remove the effects altogether.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

A Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage will make the limb useless for the duration of the battle
and forces the NPC to pass a WP test or retreat from the battle.

A Major Muscle/Tendon Damage makes the NPC fall to the ground, clutching the injury,
effectively stunned for the duration of the battle. He will be permanently crippled if he
survives.

A Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage makes the NPC helpless for the duration of the battle and
will cripple him permanently if he survives. If the GM feels mean he may add fatal bleeding
from a severed artery to make sure the NPC doesnt survive.

BLEEDING
This chapter deals with blood-loss and its effects. All bleeding is defined as a combination of two
factors; the speed with which you lose blood and how difficult it is to stop the bleeding. For example,
veins and small arteries bleed less than major arteries and the bleeding from having a hand severed is
considerably easier to stop than internal bleeding from a damaged spleen.
Thus, all bleeding will be defined as a split severity, such as Major/Internal Bleeding or Minor/Easy
Bleeding.
Amount of bleeding can be Minor, Major or Severe. Difficulty of stopping bleeding can be Easy,
Regular, Hard or Internal.
IMPORTANT! If a character suffering the effects of bleeding also has other injuries causing
penalties they are NOT cumulative! Instead you simply use the higher penalty on any particular turn.
For multiple injuries causing bleeding you also use only the higher penalty but each bleeding will have
to be stopped separately. For example, a character has taken a Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage to his
sword-arm, causing a penalty of -20% to his battle skills and reducing his SB by -2 when using that
arm. He also takes a Minor Bleeding injury and after a number of turns start to feel the effects of it,
suffering a penalty of -10% to his battle skills, S and Ag. He will now suffer the higher of the two
penalties (from the arm wound) when using his injured arm while taking the smaller penalty for any
other tests using WS, BS, S or Ag (from the bleeding). Once the penalties from the bleeding have
accumulated to a staggering -30% the injury from the arm will no longer be significant in comparison
to the extreme dizziness and weakness caused from such severe blood-loss; hell be very unlikely to be
able to hit anyone anyway.
Minor rant: A few words on the matter of tourniquets...
Contrary to popular conception and not a few Hollywood depictions a tourniquet is not a miraclecure for bleeding. It is sometimes just fine for cases where a limb has been amputated but rarely
otherwise. What a tourniquet does is cut off the flow of blood from all blood-vessels in the limb, not
merely the injured ones. (The medical term for multiple vessels supplying the same area is collaterals
and these can often provide sufficient blood to a limb even if the major artery supplying it has been
severed.) Thus, if the injured limb has not been entirely severed (and is thus not in any need of a
blood-supply) it will soon find itself starved of blood and begin to take damage. One none-too-perfect
solution is to loosen the tourniquet every once in a while to allow blood to enter the limb but this will
also allow renewed bleeding (very likely since the wound will probably not have clotted properly,
having had no supply of extra clotting factors and fibrin from a continuous passage of blood through
the area) and will still very likely cause damage to the limb anyway. The pressure necessary is in most
cases also quite large, an inappropriately applied tourniquet doing little expect compress the veins
rather than the more important arteries. In some areas the arteries also run between bones (such as
between the tibia and the fibula in the lower leg) and cannot thus be compressed properly. For the
purposes of these rules and for the sake of dramatic effect I have allowed cruel reality to take a back
seat and thus enable tourniquets to work better than in real life.
Amount of bleeding:
Minor Bleeding: This represents a comparatively small or slow bleeding, such as that from a single
small artery or most veins. It wont kill you but may cause you to lose consciousness.
A character with a Minor Bleeding suffers a cumulative penalty of -10% to his battle skills, S and Ag
each number of turns equal to his TB as he becomes progressively dizzier and weaker from loss of
blood. The turn on which he receives the injury he suffers no penalty from the bleeding; the first

penalties begin after TB turns, increasing to -20% an additional TB turns after that, then -30% after a
further TB turns and so on.
When either S or Ag or the higher of either his WS or BS (some creatures do not have BS and being
a poor archer does not make you bleed faster) reaches zero he falls unconscious from loss of blood. He
remains unconscious for 2d10 hours. When he wakes up he will have his battle skills, S and Ag halved
for the next 24 hours (48 hours if he receives neither food nor drink). If he did not fall unconscious his
penalties will be halved after 12 hours and removed completely after a further 12 hours. A quick-heal
spell will halve the remaining time of each 12 or 24 hour period each time it is cast; a repair-heal will
counts as a complete 12 or 24 hour period while a miracle-heal spell will instantly remove all penalties
caused by the bleeding.
Major Bleeding: This represents a larger blood-vessel having been damaged, causing rapid loss of
large amounts of blood. Unless stopped in some way it is likely to cause you to bleed out completely.
A character with a Major Bleeding suffers a cumulative penalty of -5% to his battle skills, S and Ag
each turn as he bleeds heavily.
When either S or Ag or the higher of either his WS or BS (some creatures do not have BS and being
a poor archer does not make you bleed faster) reaches zero he falls unconscious. Unless the bleeding is
stopped he must pass a T test each d10 turns after that or die in a widening pool of his own blood. If he
passes two tests in a row the bleeding stops spontaneously (meaning muscles have clamped down in
reflex around the injured area sufficiently to compress the bleeding vessels or a clot has formed).
If he survives he will wake up after 4d10 hours. Hell be weak as kitten, having his battle skills, S
and Ag reduced to and his Int and WP reduced by . These penalties will be reduced by for each
24 hours of rest (although not on any 24 hours in which the character received neither food nor drink).
If he did not fall unconscious he will have his penalties halved after 24 hours and removed completely
after a further 24 hours. Each quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time of each 24 hour period
each time it is cast; a repair-heal spell will count as an extra 24 hours of rest and food while a miracleheal spell will remove all penalties caused by the bleeding.
Severe Bleeding: This represents a catastrophic bleeding that will empty you of blood in mere
moments unless quick help is available. Examples include a severed femoral artery in the leg or a
nicked carotid artery in the neck.
A character with a Severe Bleeding suffers a cumulative penalty of -15% to his battle skills, S and
Ag each turn as his lifeblood pours out on the ground in huge spurts.
When either S or Ag or the higher of either his WS or BS (some creatures do not have BS and being
a poor archer does not make you bleed faster) reaches zero he falls unconscious. Once unconscious he
will die in another d10 turns unless the bleeding is stopped.
If he survives he will recover at the same rate as for a Major Bleeding.
Difficulty of stopping the bleeding:
Easy: An Easy Bleeding will require little but pressure on the wounded area to stop it, such as a tight
bandage, although sometimes burning with a hot iron is also used.
If someone with two working hands other than the wounded person takes a full action to apply a
bandage (whether improvised or from prepared kit) and succeeds with a Heal skill test the bleeding
will stop. If the person lacks the Heal skill he may roll against half his Ag instead. If the person
performing the test has only one working hand (including if the wounded person himself takes the test

but is bandaging his own arm) it takes three times as long and he has to use his teeth to tighten the
bandage.
The Surgery Talent provides no extra benefit except that the bandage will look neater.
Any sort of heal spell will immediately stop the bleeding and may speed up recovery (see under
Amount of bleeding above). The Cauterize spell also instantly stops the bleeding.
Regular: A Regular Bleeding is more difficult to stop than an Easy one but far from impossible,
taking more time (and usually a bigger bandage) but not anything more complicated. A temporary
tourniquet is sometimes used initially.
The procedure is the same as for an Easy Bleeding but requires first removing any armour worn on
the wounded area (taking one half-action per AP) and applying the bandage and/or tourniquet takes
two full actions instead of one and cannot be done without at least two hands.
The Surgery Talent allows the bandaging to be performed with only a single full action. Magical
spells work as for an Easy Bleeding.
Hard: This is a trickier proposition, with the injured vessel(s) usually deep or otherwise inaccessible
within the wound causing the bleeding. It requires surgical knowledge and special equipment (such as
forceps or pincers of some kind, included in the Trade Tools of any profession with the Surgery Talent)
to find and clamp the spurting vessel.
First of all any armour worn on the wounded area must be removed, taking one half-action per AP. If
either lacking the Surgery Talent or having it but lacking the tools described above, a successful Heal
skill test (taking two full actions) will reduce the bleeding by one level (a Minor Bleeding turns into
none, a Major into a Minor and a Severe into a Major) but this cannot be further improved without
both the Talent and tools (or magic). The test cannot be performed without at least two hands.
A successful Heal test with access to both the Talent and the tools (taking two full actions after
removing any armour as described above) will stop the bleeding. A successful casting of the Cauterize
spell will also stop the bleeding, although it will require removing armour first, just as with a Heal test.
A quick-heal spell will have no effect. A repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will stop the bleeding and
does not require removing armour.
Internal: This is internal haemorrhaging and can be caused by both a sharp blade entering the body
or by blunt trauma causing injury to organs such as the kidneys, spleen or liver. Sometimes it stops
spontaneously, the surrounding tissues or fibrous membranes encapsulating the damaged organ
containing the bleeding. Otherwise the victim will bleed out unless surgery or magical aid is available.
IMPORTANT! The amount and speed of bleeding may vary. Specific critical results may note that a
bleeding is, for example, a Major Bleeding but at only a of the rate, meaning that the penalty will be
only -5% every third turn. Its not unusual for internal bleeding to take its own sweet time killing a
victim.
When a character falls unconscious from an Internal Bleeding he must pass a Hard (-20%) T test or
continue to bleed. If successful, the bleeding stops spontaneously.
Heal tests without the Surgery Talent will have no effect. If the healer has both the Surgery Talent
and the right surgical tools (included in the Trade Tools of any profession with the Surgery Talent) he
may attempt emergency surgery (usually requiring opening up the abdomen since this is where the
bleeding usually stems from) to remove the damaged organ and/or clamp the blood-vessels supplying
it. With access to a surgical theatre with a proper operating table (with straps and other restraining

measures) the skill test may be performed at no penalty. Otherwise the patient will have to be
restrained by other means and/or severely drugged with alcohol or some other intoxicating substance
(four doses of Healing Draught will do the job). Other people holding him down will require a
combined S of at least three times his own. A sufficient amount of rope or other suitable material, or a
lesser number of Draughts, will add 30-60% to their combined S, depending on the GMs generosity.
If sufficient S is unavailable, half of the lacking S is deducted as a penalty to the healers skill test. A
successful test will stop the bleeding completely. Regardless of whether or not the operation was a
success the wounded character must spend four weeks in bed for post-op recovery and pass a T test or
contract Septicaemia d10 days after the surgery.
The Cauterize spell is useless because the caster cannot reach the injured area deep inside the
victims body. However, if present at surgery he may cast the spell then which will, if it was cast
successfully, not only stop the bleeding but also remove the risk of Septicaemia (the wounded
character does not have to test against his T). A quick-heal spell will have no effect on the bleeding but
will halve the post-op recovery period after surgery if cast afterwards. A repair-heal or miracle-heal
spell will stop the bleeding (and remove any need for a post-op recovery period if cast after surgery,
although not the need for a T test to avoid Septicaemia).
Short summary on Bleeding:
Bleeding is divided by speed of bleeding (Minor, Major or Severe) and difficulty of stopping the
bleeding (Easy, Regular, Hard or Internal), presented as, for example, a Major/Hard Bleeding.
Penalties from bleeding are not cumulative with penalties from other injuries or further wounds
causing bleeding; simply use the higher penalty.

A Minor Bleeding causes a cumulative penalty of -10% to WS, BS, S and Ag each TB turns,
causing loss of consciousness once either reaches zero. Consciousness is regained after2d10
hours, whereupon WS, BS, S and Ag are halved for 24 hours. If the character did not fall
unconscious due to the bleeding having stopped any penalties are halved after 12 hours and
removed after a further 12 hours. A quick-heal spell will halve the remaining time of each
12 or 24 hour period each time it is cast; a repair-heal will counts as a complete 12 or 24
hour period while a miracle-heal spell will instantly remove all penalties caused by the
bleeding.

A Major Bleeding causes a cumulative penalty of -5% to WS, BS, S and Ag each turn,
causing loss of consciousness once either reaches zero. He must pass a T test each d10
turns after that or die unless the bleeding is stopped. If he passes two tests in a row the
bleeding stops spontaneously. If he survives he will wake up after 4d10 hours, his WS, BS, S
and Ag reduced to and his Int and WP reduced by . These penalties will be reduced by
for each 24 hours of rest. If the character did not fall unconscious penalties will be
halved after 24 hours and removed completely after a further 24 hours. A quick-heal spell
will halve the remaining time of each 24 hour period each time it is cast; a repair-heal spell
will count as a complete 24 hour period while a miracle-heal spell will remove all penalties
caused by the bleeding.

A Severe Bleeding causes a cumulative penalty of -15% to his WS, BS, S and Ag each turn,
causing loss of consciousness once either reaches zero. Once unconscious he will die in
another d10 turns unless the bleeding is stopped. If he survives he will recover at the same
rate as for a Major Bleeding.

An Easy Bleeding will require a full action and success with a Heal skill test (or a test
against half Ag) to stop the bleeding. If the healer has only one hand available it takes three
full actions. Any sort of heal spell or the Cauterize spell will instantly stops the bleeding.

A Regular Bleeding uses the same procedure as for Easy Bleeding but requires first
removing any armour worn on the wounded area (taking one half-action per AP) and takes
two full actions instead of one and cannot be stopped without at least two hands available.
The Surgery Talent allows the bandaging to be performed with only a single full action.
Magical spells work as for an Easy Bleeding.

A Hard Bleeding requires the Surgery Talent and special equipment (included in the Trade
Tools of any profession with the Surgery Talent) as well as at least two hands and two full
actions to stop the bleeding. Armour worn on the wounded area must first be removed,
taking one half-action per AP. If lacking the Surgery Talent or tools a successful Heal skill
test (taking two full actions) will reduce the bleeding by one level but this cannot be further
reduced without access to both the Talent and tools or magic. A successful casting of the
Cauterize spell will also stop the bleeding, although it will require removing armour first. A
repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will stop the bleeding and does not require removing
armour.

An Internal Bleeding stops spontaneously if a Hard (-20%) T test is passed after the
character falls unconscious. Otherwise an operation is required. The surgeon (who must
have the Surgery Talent as well as appropriate Trade Tools) takes a penalty to his test unless
the patient is appropriately restrained (see main text) during the operation. Whether
successful or not, the patient must remain in bed for four weeks of post-op rest and pass a T
test or contract Septicaemia d10 days after the operation. The Cauterize spell, if cast
successfully during such an operation, will stop the bleeding and remove the need to test for
Septicaemia. Either a repair-heal or miracle-heal will stop the bleeding regardless of when
they are cast.

Alternate simplified version of Bleeding:

Amount of bleeding:

Minor Bleeding causes a cumulative penalty of -5% to WS, BS, S and Ag each turn and
causes unconsciousness when either reaches zero. The character recovers consciousness
after 2d10 hours.

Major Bleeding causes a 10% risk of dying from loss of blood of each turn until the
bleeding is stopped or the character rolls 95 or more on the check (in which case the
bleeding stops spontaneously).

Severe Bleeding causes a cumulative 10% risk of dying each turn until the bleeding has
stopped.

Difficulty of stopping the bleeding:

Easy Bleeding is stopped with either a successful Heal test (or half Ag if the character does
not have that skill) which takes one full action to perform or any magical healing or
Cauterize spell.

Regular Bleeding takes two full actions to stop and requires removing armour on the
injured area (taking one half-action per AP) first, if using the Heal skill (or half Ag). Any
magical healing or Cauterize spell will also stop the bleeding.

Hard Bleeding requires the Surgery Talent and takes the same time as Regular Bleeding to
stop, if using the Heal skill. A quick-heal, miracle-heal or Cauterize spell will also stop the
bleeding.

Internal Bleeding can only be stopped by a repair-heal or miracle-heal spell, or an

operation which will require both a successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent and a
successful T test by the patient. Failure of either or both will result in the patient dying on
the operating table.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

Ignore difficulty of stopping.

Minor Bleeding causes a 20% risk of falling unconscious each turn.

Major Bleeding causes a 20% risk of dying each turn.

Severe Bleeding will make the NPC lose unconsciousness and bleed to death within d10
turns.

CHEST INJURIES
This chapter deals with injuries to the chest and the major organs therein, namely the lungs and
heart. It also includes the effects of damage to the skeletal structures surrounding the chest cavity.
Lecture time: The Physiology of breathing...
To properly understand why damage to the lungs is a serious matter we need to understand how the
body accomplishes the act of breathing. The chest cavity is enclosed by the ribcage which forms the
sides, and the diaphragm, which is a sheath of muscle between the chest cavity and the abdominal
cavity (with the oesophagus and aorta passing through it), defining the bottom. The lungs are
contained within the pleura, or lung sack, a membrane that attaches to the inside of the ribcage and the
upper surface of the diaphragm. The space between the lungs and the pleura (the pleural space)
contains no air, only a small amount of fluid for lubrication.
Taking a breath involves contraction of the diaphragm (which in the act of contracting is drawn
downwards) and of the muscles between the ribs, all combining to expand the volume of the chest
cavity. Because the pleural space is a vacuum this results in a negative pressure inside the pleura, and
thus the lungs are forced to expand with the rest of the chest cavity, drawing air through the airways
down into the lungs to fill the extra volume. As the muscles of the ribcage and the diaphragm relax the
negative pressure decreases and the air inside the lungs is forced out as the whole chest cavity
decreases in volume back to its relaxed size.
Now... what happens if air finds its way into the pleural space? This can happen either by air
penetrating through a pierced chest-wall from the outside or by air entering from the inside through a
hole in the lung. When the chest expanded air would be drawn into the pleural space, reducing the
negative pressure, causing the affected lung to collapse or at least not to expand with the rest of the
chest cavity. Without expansion no air would be drawn into the lung. This is called a pneumothorax
(which is Latin for air inside the chest). The right and left lung are separate spaces and thus only one
lung would normally be affected by damage to that side. A pneumothorax can be large or small
depending on the amount of air leaked into the pleura and the typical symptoms include a shortness of
breath and dry coughing. Depending on whether or not the lung has been damaged the victim may also
cough up blood.
When the hole has healed the air trapped inside the pleura is slowly absorbed through the
surrounding tissues and the vacuum is restored.
A much more serious injury is the so-called tension pneumothorax. This happens when the wound
causing the air-leak forms a one-way valve. Each breath you attempted to take would draw air into the
pleural space, retaining it as the wound closed each time your chest contracted again, more and more
air building up. The lung sharing space with the air inside the pleura would soon be totally collapsed
and useless. As more and more air filled the pleura the opposite side of the chest would begin to be
affected, being pushed against the opposite side of the ribcage. The other lung and the heart would find
it more and more difficult to expand as available space inside the chest decreased and the aorta and
other major vessels would be compressed. Unless the leakage of air was stopped quickly or the air
somehow let out this would quickly lead to death by suffocation or a stopped heart.
(With modern real-life surgical techniques a chest tube is usually inserted to suck out the air while an
air-tight patch is applied to the wound. In an emergency a needle can be inserted between the ribs to let
air out, as depicted in the movie Three Kings.)
Rib Fracture:

There are many muscles that attach to the ribcage, many of them involved in movements of the arms
(such as most of the chest muscles) but also muscles between the ribs that contribute to expanding the
chest when breathing (although the main muscle responsible for breathing is the diaphragm; the rib
musculature is therefore called secondary breathing musculature) which mean that they will pull on
any broken rib whenever you take a breath, hurting like blazes. A secondary effect of this is that youre
not able to properly ventilate your lungs with deep breaths, coughs, sneezes, etc, without severe pain.
This in turn leads to bacteria tending to accumulate in the airways rather than being expelled through
coughing, sneezing, etc. (With real-life modern medical care there is usually both sufficient painkillers
and help from a physical therapist for breathing exercises to prevent this.)
Minor Rib Fracture: This represents a comparatively minor fracture or severe bruising of one or a
few ribs. A Minor Rib Fracture causes a penalty of -10% to all tests requiring physical exertion or
movement of the arms, including battle skill and Dodge Blow tests. The penalty is halved after one
week and disappears after a further two weeks.
Major Rib Fracture: This represents multiple fractured ribs. A Major Rib Fracture causes a penalty
of -20% to all tests requiring physical exertion or movement of the arms, including battle skill and
Dodge Blow tests. The penalty is halved after two weeks and disappears after a further two weeks.
Unless the wounded character passes a Very Easy (+30%) T test he will contract Pneumonia after d10
days.
Severe Rib Fracture: This represents multiple broken ribs with dislocated fragments possibly
tearing through the skin or even puncturing a lung. The penalties and risk of pneumonia is the same as
for a Major Rib Fracture but directly upon taking a hit causing a Severe Rib Fracture the wounded
character must also pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test or suffer the effects of Collapsed Lung (Minor).
IMPORTANT! If a character suffering the effects of a rib fracture also has other injuries causing
penalties they are NOT cumulative! Instead you simply use the higher penalty on any particular turn.
The injuries must still be healed separately. For example, a character has taken a Minor Muscle/
Tendon Damage to his sword-arm, causing a penalty of -20% to his battle skills and reducing his SB
by -2 when using that arm. He also takes a Minor Rib Fracture, suffering a penalty of -10% to his
battle skills and Dodge Blow tests. He will now suffer the higher of the two penalties (from the arm
wound) when using his injured arm while taking the smaller penalty for any other battle skill tests as
well as Dodge Blow tests.
Natural Healing: A successful Heal skill test will reduce the penalty from a rib fracture by -5%
(whether before or after it has been halved), although this will require at least six turns and make it
impossible to wear Plate on the Body since it involves tightly bandaging the injured ribs. If the healer
also has the Surgery Talent he will reduce the time it takes for the penalty to disappear completely by
one week (thus, a Minor Rib Fracture will cause only a penalty of -5% for one week and will have
healed completely after only a further one week, with no penalty caused during that last week).
Drinking at least one Healing Draught per day during the first week will eliminate the risk of
contracting Pneumonia for both Major and Severe Rib Fractures since the effects of the painkillers will
allow more or less normal breathing to ventilate the lungs (although will in most cases not restore any
Wounds since the character will probably still be Heavily Wounded). Healing Poultices will have no
effect.
Surgical Healing: See above.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will reduce the time required to heal by one week per spell and
will allow a re-roll for any failed T test to resist contracting Pneumonia if cast before it has developed.
A repair-heal spell will completely heal a Minor Rib Fracture and turn a Major or Severe Rib Fracture

into a Minor. Both quick-heal and repair-heal spells can be cast repeatedly to further improve the rate
of healing. A miracle-heal spell will instantly cure any Rib Fracture.
Collapsed Lung:
This represents a pneumothorax, as described above. It can be either Minor or Major, depending on
whether it is a small or large pneumothorax. The character experiences chest pain and a shortness of
breaths, becoming pale and distraught.
Collapsed Lung (Minor): This results in a penalty of -10% to all tests. After TB turns the character
also has to pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test or pass out from lack of oxygen, regaining consciousness
after 2d10 hours.
Collapsed Lung (Major): This results in a penalty of -20% to all tests. After TB turns the character
also has to pass an Easy (+20%) T test or pass out from lack of oxygen, regaining consciousness after
2d10 hours. If successful he will have to take another identical test after a further TB turns, and again a
further TB turns after that. Passing the test three times in a row means you dont have to take further
tests. After d10 days the character will have to pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test or contract Pneumonia.
Natural Healing: The default time to heal is two weeks and the penalties are halved after half that
time. Neither the Heal skill, Healing Poultices or Healing Draughts affect this.
Surgical Healing: No extra benefits.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell doubles the rate of natural healing. A repair-heal spell instantly
cures a Collapsed Lung (Minor) and turns a Major one into a Minor One. Both types of spells may
benefit the wounded character repeatedly. A miracle-heal spell instantly cures any Collapsed Lung and
removes the necessity for having to test for Pneumonia.
Sucking Chest Wound:
This represents a very dangerous tension pneumothorax, as described above. The character suffers a
cumulative penalty of -5% to his battle skills, Ag, Int and WP each turn due to lack of oxygen,
beginning on the turn after receiving the injury. When any of those attributes reaches zero he falls
unconscious. Once he is unconscious his breaths become shallower and less strained which slows
down the rate at which air leaks into his chest, although he will look pale and clearly dying to anyone
who sees him. Every five minutes (thirty turns) after falling unconscious he will have to pass a Normal
T test or expire.
Natural Healing: The Heal skill in itself is insufficient to save someone with a Sucking Chest
Wound from dying, nor will Healing Poultices or Healing Draughts help.
Surgical Healing: If the healer has the Surgery Talent he may have the necessary knowledge to try
to apply an airtight bandage of some sort to the wound to prevent further leakage of air (although such
bandages are very primitive in WFRP, not like the plastic dressings used by real-life modern medics).
If a successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent is performed on an unconscious character with a
Sucking Chest Wound (this takes at least one minute and requires removing any chest armour and
clothing) he will have to test for dying only every fifteen minutes and will no longer have to test if he
succeeds with three tests in a row, as the wound will have closed and clotted on its own by then. The
character will regain consciousness after 2d10 hours but will count as having a Collapsed Lung
(Major), meaning a -20% penalty to all tests until healed, as described under Collapsed Lung above.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will reduce the Sucking Chest Wound to a Collapsed Lung
(Major), with the effects described under Collapsed Lung above. (If not already unconscious he will

have to test for falling unconscious as if having just received the Collapsed Lung injury.) A repair-heal
spell will reduce the Sucking Chest Wound to a Collapsed Lung (Minor), with the effects described
under Collapsed Lung above. (If not already unconscious he will have to test for falling unconscious
as if having just received the Collapsed Lung injury.) A miracle-heal spell will completely heal a
Sucking Chest Wound.
Broken Collarbone:
Although this injury mainly affects the arm it is placed among chest injuries due to its anatomical
location. The collarbone (or clavicle) is a bone that makes up a part of the shoulder girdle, attaching to
the shoulderblade (or scapula) and breastbone (or sternum). A fracture causes sharp pain whenever the
arm is moved.
A Broken Collarbone injury forces the character to pass a WP test before making an action requiring
any use of the arm beyond fine manipulation with the hand, including ranged or close combat attacks
and parries, due to the pain. If successful he still suffers a -10% penalty to the action he attempts.
Natural Healing: The default time to heal is six weeks, after which the effects described above
disappear. No Heal test is necessary.
Surgical Healing: If the healer has the Surgery Talent he can construct a simple sling that reduces
the time to heal to four weeks. No Heal test is necessary.
Magical healing: A quick-heal spell halves the remaining time to heal; any other healing spell
instantly heals the injury.

Short summary on Chest Injuries:

Rib Fractures:

A Minor Rib Fracture causes a penalty of -10% to all tests requiring physical exertion or
movement of the arms, including battle skill and Dodge Blow tests. The penalty is halved
after one week and disappears after a further two weeks.

A Major Rib Fracture causes a penalty of -20%. The penalty is halved after two weeks and
disappears after a further two weeks. Unless the wounded character passes a Very Easy
(+30%) T test he will contract Pneumonia after d10 days.

A Severe Rib Fracture causes the same penalties and risk of pneumonia as for a Major Rib
Fracture but directly upon taking a hit causing a Severe Rib Fracture the wounded
character must also pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test or suffer the effects of Collapsed Lung
(Minor).

Rib Fractures, Natural and Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test will reduce the
penalty from a rib fracture by -5%. This test requires six turns and makes it impossible to
wear Plate armour on the body due to heavy bandaging. If the healer also has the Surgery
Talent he will also reduce the time it takes for the penalty to disappear completely by one
week. Drinking at least one Healing Draught per day during the first week will eliminate
the risk of contracting Pneumonia.

Rib Fractures, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will reduce the time required to heal by
one week per spell and will allow a re-roll for any failed T test to resist contracting

Pneumonia. A repair-heal spell will completely heal a Minor Rib Fracture and turn a Major
or Severe Rib Fracture into a Minor. A miracle-heal spell will instantly cure any Rib
Fracture.
Collapsed Lung:

Collapsed Lung (Minor) results in a penalty of -10% to all tests. After TB turns the
character also has to pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test or pass out from lack of oxygen,
regaining consciousness after 2d10 hours.

Collapsed Lung (Major) increases the penalty to -20% and the test for passing out is only
Easy (+20%) instead. If successful he will have to take another identical test after a further
TB turns, and again a further TB turns after that until he has either passed the test three
times in a row or is unconscious. After d10 days the character will also have to pass a Very
Easy (+30%) T test or contract Pneumonia.

Collapsed Lung, Natural Healing: The default time to heal is two weeks and the penalties
are halved after half that time. No effects from Heal skill, Healing Poultices or Healing
Draughts.

Collapsed Lung, Surgical Healing: No extra benefits.

Collapsed Lung, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell doubles the rate of natural healing. A
repair-heal spell instantly cures a Collapsed Lung (Minor) and turns a Major one into a
Minor One. A miracle-heal spell instantly cures any Collapsed Lung and removes the
necessity for having to test for Pneumonia.

Sucking Chest Wound:

A Sucking Chest Wound causes a cumulative penalty of -5% to his battle skills, Ag, Int and
WP each turn, beginning on the turn after receiving the injury causing unconsciousness
when any of those attributes reaches zero. Every five minutes (thirty turns) after falling
unconscious the victim will have to pass a Normal T test or die.

Sucking Chest Wound, Natural Healing: No effects from the Heal skill, Healing Poultices
or Healing Draughts.

Sucking Chest Wound, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent
performed on an unconscious character with a Sucking Chest Wound (this takes one
minute and requires removing any chest armour and clothing) will mean he only has to test
for dying every fifteen minutes, surviving if he succeeds with three tests in a row. The
character will regain consciousness after 2d10 hours but will count as having a Collapsed
Lung (Major).

Sucking Chest Wound, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will reduce the Sucking Chest
Wound to a Collapsed Lung (Major). A repair-heal spell will reduce the Sucking Chest
Wound to a Collapsed Lung (Minor), with the effects described under Collapsed Lung
above. If not already unconscious the victim will have to test for falling unconscious as if
having just received the Collapsed Lung injury. A miracle-heal spell will completely heal a
Sucking Chest Wound.

Broken Collarbone:

A Broken Collarbone injury forces the character to pass a WP test before making any action
requiring use of the arm beyond fine manipulation with the hand. If successful he still
suffers a -10% penalty to the action he attempts.

Broken Collarbone, Natural Healing: The default time to heal is six weeks, after which the
effects disappear. No Heal test is necessary.

Broken Collarbone, Surgical Healing: If the healer has the Surgery Talent he can construct
a simple sling that reduces the time to heal to four weeks. No Heal test is necessary.

Broken Collarbone, Magical healing: A quick-heal spell halves the remaining time to heal;
any other healing spell instantly heals the injury.

Alternate simplified version of Chest Injuries:

A Minor Rib Fracture causes a penalty of -10% to all tests. A Major Rib Fracture causes a
penalty of -20% to all tests. In both cases the penalty is halved after two weeks and
disappears after four weeks. Either a quick-heal spell or a successful Heal test with the
Surgery Talent will halve that time while any repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will instantly
cure a Rib Fracture. A Severe Rib Fracture counts as a Collapsed Lung (Major) instead.

A Minor Collapsed Lung causes a 10% risk of falling unconscious each turn for the
duration of the combat. A Major Collapsed Lung causes a 20% risk of falling unconscious
each turn for the duration of the combat. A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent or
any heal spell will remove this risk completely.

A Sucking Chest Wound causes a cumulative 10% risk of falling unconscious each turn.
Once he has fallen unconscious the character will have to pass a T test to survive. A
successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent or any heal spell will remove either risk
completely.

A Broken Collarbone causes a penalty of -10% to all battle skill tests for four weeks. A
quick-heal spell will halve that time while a repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will completely
remove the penalty.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

A Minor Rib Fracture, Collapsed Lung (Minor) or Broken Collarbone will all cause a
penalty of -10% to all tests for the remainder of the battle and forces the NPC to pass a WP
test or retreat from the battle.

A Major or Severe Rib Fracture or Collapsed Lung (Major) will cause the NPC to count as
stunned for the remainder of the combat and he will be incapacitated for several weeks if he
survives.

A Sucking Chest Wound will make the NPC fall to the ground, counting as helpless and
dying within an hour unless magical aid is given.

ABDOMINAL INJURIES
The abdomen is divided from the chest by the large sheath of muscle called the diaphragm and
contains many different organs, some of them protected by the lower ribs or cradled inside the pelvis.
Lecture time: Guts and stuff...
An enormous amount of blood passes through the kidneys every minute; some of it is rendered down
to urine and passed on to the urinary bladder. Damage to the kidneys tends to result in severe bleeding
but they are partially hidden behind the lower part of the ribcage and it is quite possible to live with
only one kidney if you lose one.
The liver, a large organ on the right side, is also partially protected by ribs and is another organ
through which large amounts of blood pass, in this case on its way from the intestinal area back into
the great veins leading to the heart, in the process being cleansed of toxins and leaving behind some of
the nutrients picked up from the intestines. Damage to the liver is another injury that often results in
large loss of blood, although at a slower rate since the flow is mostly venous rather than arterial.
The spleen is a rather small organ on the left side, its functions including storage of white blood-cells
aiding the immune system. Apart from causing bleeding if damaged, often necessitating the removal of
the entire spleen, its loss means an increased vulnerability to infections.
The intestinal tract includes the whole path travelled by the food you eat, the oesophagus emptying
into the stomach where acid starts working on the food particles, on through the first part of the small
intestine, called the duodenum (Latin for twelve fingers breadths) where enzymes and bile from the
pancreas and gall-bladder are added to further process the food. After passing through several yards
worth of small intestine the food enters the large intestine, also called the colon, a much shorter and
thicker length of gut, and finally empties into the rectum.
Most of these organs are attached to or enveloped by the peritoneum, a membrane that lines the
abdominal cavity and keeps the organs in place, making sure they dont rattle around inside the
abdominal cavity.
And by the way, most of the knowledge imparted in the above segment, apart from the purely
anatomical details, is way beyond the knowledge and understanding of most Old World physicians and
scholars!
Minor Abdominal Injury:
This represents an injury that has pierced the abdominal wall of flesh and muscle through to the
abdominal cavity although not piercing any important organs within. Bacteria will spread through the
wound into the abdomen and cause an infection of the peritoneum lining it, a so-called peritonitis. The
symptoms, as the infections progresses, include pain, the muscles of the abdomen growing very rigid
and tender, and fever.
The initial injury is quite painful, usually resulting in penalties described in the individual critical hit
result. After the combat in which he received the injury is over (or after one hour, whichever is shorter)
the character doubles over from agony as his abdomen becomes rigid and the muscles excruciatingly
tense, with a pronounced tenderness causing great pain at the slightest movement or touch, causing a
penalty of -30% to all tests. After 12 hours he has to roll a T test. If unsuccessful he contracts
Septicaemia (see the Infections chapter), although he already counts as being at the -30% penalty stage
of Septicaemia and thus becomes helpless after the next TB hours. If the test is passed the peritonitis is
being successfully fought by the characters immune system and the penalty is halved after 24 hours. It

remains at -15% until the character has gone from Heavily Wounded to Lightly Wounded, since having
a hole in the muscles of the belly can be a real pain.
Natural Healing: As described above. Ordinary Heal skill tests, Healing Draughts and Healing
Poultices (applying one merely risks inserting more foreign matter and microorganisms into the
abdominal cavity) have no effect.
Surgical Healing: Attempting exploratory surgery on someone with full-blown peritonitis for the
purpose of discovering the source of the infection would in this case result in little but a larger hole in
the abdominal wall through which to insert bacteria since no important internal organs were damaged
by the hit. However, successful use of the Heal skill with the Surgery Talent will tell the healer that
there is little evidence of such damage (such as the smell of faeces or leakage of bile from the wound)
and that surgery is thus not indicated.
Magical Healing: A Shallyan Cure Disease spell will kill the infection and it will count as if the
character had succeeded with his T test to avoid Septicaemia regardless of whether or not he has
already contracted it and he will recover as described above (immediately reverting from a helpless
state to having a penalty of -30% if he had progressed to Helpless from the Septicaemia). A quick-heal
spell will have no extra effect apart from speeding up the rate at which he goes from Heavily to
Lightly Wounded. A repair-heal spell will close the wound but will not affect the infection if it has
already progressed to Septicaemia; otherwise the character gains a +10% bonus on his T test to resist
contracting Septicaemia. A miracle-heal spell will have the same effects as a successful Cure Disease
spell.
Major Abdominal Injury:
This represents an injury that has pierced the abdominal wall of flesh and muscle through to the
abdominal cavity and damaged some organ within that starts to leak its contents, including bacteria,
into the abdomen, causing a severe infection. (This is one reason you should not give a person with
gut-wounds water; it will merely flush more faecal matter out through the pierced intestine.) Without
major surgery or magical healing such an injury is an almost certain death sentence.
The initial injury is quite painful, usually resulting in penalties described in the individual critical hit
result. After the combat in which he received the injury is over (or after one hour, whichever is shorter)
the character doubles over from agony as his abdomen becomes rigid and the muscles excruciatingly
tense, with a pronounced tenderness causing great pain at the slightest movement or touch, causing a
penalty of -30% to all tests. After 12 hours he automatically becomes Helpless. He has to pass a T test
each 12 hours after that or die.
(The GM might permit the character to make a Hard (-20%) T or WP (whichever is higher) test per
turn, a success allowing him to perform a half-action on that turn. He may only attempt this for a
number of turns equal to his TB before he must rest (counting as helpless again) for ten turns before
making another attempt. If he spends a Fortune Point he gets to make a full action that turn. This will
allow even very sick characters a chance to react to events or perform heroic acts even while very ill.)
(IMPORTANT! This is not an ordinary Septicaemia since the progress is much faster and the hole in
his intestinal organs continues to leak foul matter into his abdominal cavity, constantly adding new
bacteria to the infection. Success with each new T test simply means he has another 12 hours to live,
painful as they will be. Sacrificing a Fate Point is recommended since only that will allow the
character to survive without aid. In that case hell recover to a non-helpless state and then recovering
at the same state as if having just survived a Septicaemia.)

Natural Healing: As described above. Ordinary Heal skill tests, Healing Draughts and Healing
Poultices (applying one merely risks inserting more foreign matter and microorganisms into the
abdominal cavity) have no effect.
Surgical Healing: In order to give the body a chance to combat the infection caused by faecal matter
or other foulness continuously leaking from the damaged intestinal tract into the abdominal cavity the
tears must be closed and the leakage stopped. This requires a surgical operation where the abdomen is
opened and the intestines and other organs examined for damage. A pierced gall-bladder can be simply
removed while damaged gut must be either closed up again or damaged sections removed with the two
ends stitched together (the Latin term for such a joining is anastomosis). Attempts are also usually
made to clean up or flush away any foulness from the intestines found in the area. This kind of
meticulous and complicated surgery is beyond most surgeons in the Old World and even a successful
operation is in most cases made futile by massive the septicaemia already caused by wound.
This kind of operation cannot be performed without a proper surgical room, complete with an
operating table featuring the necessary restraining straps and belts since most anaesthesia such as
alcohol or draughts must be ingested and are thus made useless or even dangerous by the damage to
the intestinal tract. A successful Very Hard (-30%) Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent is required to
repair the damage. Failure will result in the character counting as helpless and having to roll T tests to
avoid dying, except hell have to roll every six hours instead of twelve, due to the added damage and
contamination caused by the failed surgery. Success will instead mean that the character counts as
suffering from an ordinary Septicaemia, although already counting as being at the helpless stage (see
the Infections chapter).
Magical Healing: Either a quick-heal or a repair-heal spell will close up the wound and prevent
further contamination but will not prevent the peritonitis infection already caused by the injury. The
character thus does not suffer the full effects of a Major Abdominal Injury as described above but will
count as having contracted Septicaemia instead (see the Infections chapter). If already Helpless he will
count as already being at that stage of Septicaemia; otherwise he will begin at the full penalty of -30%
and suffer that for a further TB hours before reaching the Helpless stage of Septicaemia.
A miracle-heal spell will heal both the injury and the infection. The character will immediately
counts as recovering from a Septicaemia, starting at a penalty of -20% and decreasing it at a rate of
10% per period equalling one week minus one day per point of TB. Any further miracle-heal spells
will immediately cause instant full recovery.
A Cure Disease spell will temporarily cure the infection but will not close the wound which will
cause a renewed infection. Each successful spell will count as a successful T test to survive for the
next twelve hours and will reduce the characters Helpless state to a mere -30% penalty to all tests
instead. After twelve hours he will again become helpless and will have to start taking more tests for
survival a further twelve hours after that.
(Combined Healing Team work in action: Unless there is access to miracle-heal class spells the
most efficient way to survive this kind of injury is a combination of the Cure Disease spell and either
surgical or magical healing, thus both closing the injury and fighting the infection. Failure to do either
will either result in merely delaying the passing of the patient or trusting him to have a very tough
constitution.)
Severe Abdominal Injury:
This represents the kind of massive damage that only the most powerful healing spells can do
anything about. It is a Major Abdominal Injury on a grander scale, sometimes an outright

disembowelment, with such massive lacerations of the intestines that surgery becomes effectively
impossible. Faecal matter in great amounts spill into the abdominal cavity, causing severe peritonitis.
The character becomes instantly Helpless from the agony. Each TB hours he will have to pass a T
test or die, taking a cumulative penalty of -10% to his next test for each success.
Natural Healing: Ordinary Heal skill tests, Healing Draughts and Healing Poultices have no effect.
Surgical Healing: See Major Abdominal Injury above, except that the surgeon will have to pass
three Heal tests in a row to succeed. Without massive amounts of Fortune Points this is unlikely to
succeed...
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will have no effect. If performed during an ongoing surgical
operation (should a magician even consider such an outlandish idea), a successful repair-heal spell will
reduce the difficulty of the surgeons Heal tests to merely Difficult (-10%), otherwise it will merely
reduce the penalty to the T tests the victim have to take to survive each TB hours temporarily to zero,
after which the penalty will start increasing again by -10% for each successful test, since the infection
that is the main killer from such an injury has already taken a firm hold.
A miracle-heal spell will heal both the injury and the infection. The character will immediately count
as recovering from a Septicaemia, starting at a penalty of -30% and decreasing it at a rate of 10% per
period equalling one week minus one day per point of TB. Any further miracle-heal spells will
immediately cause instant full recovery.
A Cure Disease spell will temporarily cure the infection but will not close the massive wound which
will cause a renewed infection. Each successful spell will count as a successful T test to survive for the
next TB hours and will reduce the characters Helpless state to a mere -30% penalty to all tests instead.
After TB hours he will again become helpless and will have to start taking more tests for survival a
further TB hours after that.
(As can be seen above, unless there is access to miracle-heal class spells or an exceedingly lucky
and/or skilful surgeon most magical healing will do little but provide a few more hours of life in which
you have a chance to take the victim to a suitably powerful magician or cleric.)
Short summary on Abdominal Injuries:
Minor Abdominal Injury:

After the combat the character takes a -30% penalty to all tests from the pain. After twelve
hours he must pass a T test or contract Septicaemia (counting as already being at the -30%
penalty stage and thus next becoming Helpless). If he passes he halves the penalty after 24
hours and recovers completely once he is again only Lightly Wounded rather than Heavily
Wounded.

Minor Abdominal Injury, Natural Healing: No benefit from ordinary Heal skill tests,
Healing Poultices or Healing Draughts.

Minor Abdominal Injury, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery
Talent will tell the healer that the injury is Minor rather than Major but confers no extra
benefit in other ways.

Minor Abdominal Injury, Magical Healing: A Shallyan Cure Disease spell will count as a
successful T test not to contract Septicaemia regardless of whether or not the character has
already contracted it, with recovery as described above (immediately reverting from Helpless

to only having a penalty of -30% if he was already Helpless from Septicaemia at the time).
A quick-heal spell will have no extra effect. A repair-heal spell will gain the character a
+10% bonus on his T test to resist contracting Septicaemia. A miracle-heal spell will have
the same effects as a successful Cure Disease spell.
Major Abdominal Injury:

After the combat the character takes a penalty of -30% to all tests from the pain. After 12
hours he automatically becomes Helpless. He has to pass a T test every 12 hours after that
or die from severe peritonitis.

Note that healing a Major Abdominal Injury requires both healing the wound and curing
the infection caused by the wound. Either one will not be sufficient in itself.

Major Abdominal Injury, Natural Healing: No benefit from ordinary Heal skill tests,
Healing Poultices or Healing Draughts.

Major Abdominal Injury, Surgical Healing: A successful Very Hard (-30%) Heal skill test
with the Surgery Talent and access to a proper operating table is required to repair the
damage. Failure will result in the character counting as Helpless and having to roll T tests
to avoid dying as described above, except hell have to roll every six hours instead of twelve.
Success will instead mean that the character counts as suffering from an ordinary
Septicaemia, although already counting as being at the Helpless stage of the Septicaemia.

Major Abdominal Injury, Magical Healing: Either a quick-heal or a repair-heal spell will
mean that the character does not suffer the effects of a Major Abdominal Injury but it will
count as the character having contracted Septicaemia instead. If already Helpless he will
count as already being at that stage of Septicaemia; otherwise he will begin at a penalty of
-30% for a further TB hours before reaching the Helpless stage. A miracle-heal spell will
heal both the injury and the infection and the character will immediately counts as being in
recovery from Septicaemia, although starting at a penalty of only -20%. Any further
miracle-heal spells will immediately cause instant full recovery. A Cure Disease spell will
count as a successful T test to survive for the next twelve hours and will reduce the
characters Helpless state to a mere -30% penalty to all tests instead. After twelve hours he
will again become Helpless, as described above, and will have to start taking more tests for
survival a further twelve hours after that, the progress of the injury effects merely
temporarily interrupted.

Severe Abdominal Injury:

The character becomes instantly Helpless from the agony. Each TB hours he will have to
pass a T test or die, taking a cumulative penalty of -10% to his next test for each success.

Severe Abdominal Injury, Natural Healing: No benefit from ordinary Heal skill tests,
Healing Poultices or Healing Draughts.

Severe Abdominal Injury, Surgical Healing: As for Major Abdominal Injury, except that the
surgeon will have to pass three skill tests in a row for success.

Severe Abdominal Injury, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will have no effect. If
performed during an ongoing surgical operation (should a magician even consider such an
outlandish idea), a successful repair-heal spell will reduce the difficulty of the surgeons
Heal tests to merely Difficult (-10%), otherwise it will merely reduce the penalty to the T

tests the victim have to take to survive each TB hours temporarily to zero, after which the
penalty will start increasing again. A miracle-heal spell will heal both the injury and the
infection. The character will immediately count as being under recovery from Septicaemia,
starting at a penalty of -30%. Any further miracle-heal spells will immediately cause instant
full recovery. A Cure Disease spell will count as a successful T test to survive for the next
TB hours and will reduce the characters Helpless state to a mere -30% penalty to all tests
instead. After TB hours he will again become Helpless and will have to start taking T tests
for survival a further TB hours after that.

Alternate simplified version of Abdominal Injuries:

A Minor Abdominal Injury results in a penalty of -30% from the pain to all tests once the
combat is over. After 24 hours he must pass a T test or become Helpless from fever and
delirium. If he succeeds he recovers at a rate of reducing the penalty by 10% each 24 hours.
If he fails he will have to pass a second T test after a further d10 days or die. A successful
Cure Disease or miracle-heal spell will count as having passed all T tests and the character
will recover as described; no other spells will have any effect, nor will surgery, Poultices or
Draughts.

A Major Abdominal Injury results in a penalty of -30% from the pain to all tests once the
combat is over. After 24 hours he becomes Helpless from fever and delirium and will have
to pass a T test after a further d10/2 days or die, remaining Helpless and having to roll
again after each further 24 hours to survive. To heal this injury fully either a miracle-heal
spell is required or both either a successful repair-heal spell or Very Hard (-30%) Heal skill
test with the Surgery Talent and a Cure Disease spell or Very Hard (-30%) T test. Either
method will result in the character counting as being under recovery from Septicaemia,
starting at a penalty of -30%.

A Severe Abdominal Injury results in the character immediately becoming Helpless. Each
TB hours he will have to pass a T test or die, gaining a cumulative penalty of -10% to each
further test if successful. Only a miracle-heal spell will cure the injury, with the character
counting as being under recovery from Septicaemia, starting at a penalty of -30%. A Cure
Disease spell will only grant the character a further twelve hours of life before he has to
start taking T test again.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

A Minor Abdominal Injury will cause a penalty of -30% to all tests and the NPC will have to
pass a T test after the battle or die from infection after d10 days. He must also pass a WP
test or have to retreat from the combat.

A Major Abdominal Injury will make the NPC immediately Helpless. Unless he receives
major magical aid he will die within d10/2 days.

A Severe Abdominal Injury will make the NPC immediately Helpless. He will expire in great
agony before the day is over.

HEAD INJURIES
This chapter deals with various injuries to the head area, including jaw fractures, damage to the eyes,
concussion, brain damage and intracranial bleeding. Minor things such as black eyes, broken noses or
burst eardrums are usually described in the critical hit result, being comparatively uncomplicated.
Minor Jaw Fracture:
This is usually a fracture of the lower jaw (mandible in medical terms). Since the teeth fit very
precisely together while still allowing a certain freedom of movement such as grinding motions when
chewing any dislocation of the jaw or part of the jaw tends to interfere with this fit, causing difficulty
to close or even open the mouth properly. Chewing usually becomes very painful and speech might
also become difficult, depending on the location of the fracture and degree of dislocation, since the
jaw muscles used for chewing (the major muscles of mastication connecting the jaw to either the
cheek bone ridge or the temples, the hinge being the jaw joint or temporomandibular joint) would pull
on the fragments. If a jaw fracture heals with some degree of dislocation this will disturb the whole
carefully balanced system of jaw joint, teeth and muscles of mastication, leading to muscles becoming
strained due to a shift in the way they must exert force, often causing annoying headaches and pains.
A minor fracture usually features little in the way of dislocation and only one or two lines of
fracture, usually one on either side. It prevents eating solid foods (usually forcing the victim to take his
meals through a straw) and makes speech indistinct and slurred until healed (causing a -20% penalty to
tests where being understood properly or sounding good is important, such as most Charm tests or
when speaking a foreign language).
Natural Healing: The default time to heal is six weeks. At the end of that period the character must
pass a Very Easy (+30%) T test for the fracture to heal without misalignment. If he fails he will
experience headaches and various problems with his jaws such as painful clicking of the jaw joint in
the future; this has no effect ruleswise but is a real pain for the character, sometimes leading to lifelong
suffering. If a successful Heal skill test is performed within the first two weeks a bandage holding the
jaw shut and in place allows a failed T test to be re-rolled.
Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent produces a much more stable
and efficient bandage, possibly with some kind of intraoral plate to further stabilize the jaw and
extraction of any damaged teeth, resulting in the fracture healing without complications in four weeks.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell halves the time to heal each time it is cast, but a T test must
still be taken, as for Natural Healing. A repair-heal or miracle-heal spell instantly heals a Minor Jaw
Fracture without complications, the latter also curing any previously poorly healed and misaligned jaw
fractures.
Major Jaw Fracture:
This is a more severe fracture, usually with multiple fragments and several damaged teeth, making
healing more complicated. The penalties and necessity of ingesting only liquid nourishment is as for a
Minor Jaw Fracture.
Natural Healing: The default time to heal is six weeks but without medical care the healing will
result in the jaw healing crookedly, causing misaligned teeth and much suffering in the form of
headaches and aching jaw joints, as well as some visible asymmetry of the lower face. The character
must pass a T test or suffer a reduction of -10/2% to his Fel. If a successful Heal skill test is performed
within the first two weeks a bandage holding the jaw shut and in place removes the necessity for a T

test but cannot prevent the misalignment. This has no effects ruleswise but is a pain for the character,
often leading to lifelong suffering.
Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent produces a much more stable
and efficient bandage with wiring and an intraoral plate to stabilize the jaw, as well as extraction of
any damaged teeth. The fracture heals without complications in six weeks.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell halves the time to heal each time it is cast, but provides no
further benefits. A repair-heal reduces the time to heal to two weeks and ensures correct alignment
without complications. A miracle-heal spell instantly heals a Major Jaw Fracture without
complications, also curing any previously poorly healed and misaligned jaw fractures.
Severe Jaw Fracture:
This is a gruesome injury, despite its name implicating far more than merely a fracture, effectively
the lower jaw torn away and left to dangle by varying amounts of soft tissue, often severely broken in
many places. It is usually a fatal injury and without powerful magical healing the survivor will often
curse the cruel fate that left him to live with only half a face.
The damage is rarely limited to the jaw only, the structures and soft tissues of the throat often
affected in such a way as to prevent proper breathing, either by direct damage or by heavy bleeding
clogging the airways. When receiving a Severe Jaw Fracture the character must pass a T test or start
choking. The combination of pain from the injury and lack of air immediately makes him Helpless, as
all he can do is thrash about and gurgle. Hell die in 3xTB turns.
If the T test is successful the characters airways are free. Whether he passed the test or failed but
was saved by medical attention he will have to pass a second T test or contract an Abscess in d10 days.
Regardless, he does not have a functioning mouth and will be unable to either speak or eat anything
but liquids poured directly down his throat. With Old World technology and care only limited
nourishment is thus possible and the character will gradually lose all increases to T and S gained
through his careers (at a rate of 10% per month) until his T and S values are back at the originally
rolled values plus any Talent bonus due to malnourishment and loss of muscle mass. He will be unable
to complete any further careers requiring increases to T or S due to his physical weakness. Although
able to understand and write any language learned he will be effectively mute. For the purposes of any
tests involving face-to-face contact his Fel is reduced to a mere 5% by the gruesomeness of the injury.
Natural Healing: If the character starts choking a successful Heal skill test will allow the character
to take a second T test. If he passes his airways are cleared from blood and ruined tissues and he will
no longer be choking. If unsuccessful the damage to his throat was too severe to be unblocked easily
and he will continue to choke. Assuming the lower jaw wasnt simply severed and any Abscess didnt
turn fatal the remains of it will slowly wither and fall off due to dry gangrene (an infected wet
gangrene is represented by the Abscess).
Surgical Healing: If the character is choking due to a failed second T test, as for Natural Healing
above, a successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent (requiring two full turns) will prevent him
from choking to death, representing a tracheotomy (cutting a hole in the beneath the Adams apple to
bypass the obstruction). A Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent may also be attempted to perform an
amputation of the remaining lower jaw, in which case a successful test removes the necessity to take a
test for contracting an Abscess.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell performed before an Abscess is contracted will count as a
successful T test to avoid the Abscess, closing up any open wounds and thus preventing infection. A
repair-heal test will stop choking as well as prevent an Abscess forming, just as a quick-heal spell,

resulting in the lower jaw remaining in place but lifeless, paralyzed and often very visibly mangled,
with effects on feeding and speech as described above with the exception of the Fel reduction which is
reduced to a mere -20% penalty. A miracle-heal spell performed within one day will successfully heal
a Severe Jaw Fracture, making it count as a Minor Jaw Fracture with no risk of complication,
otherwise counting as a repair-heal spell if performed later at which time the dead tissues of the lower
jaw will already be unrecoverable. A Cure Disease spell will, of course, affect any Abscess as usual,
also preventing one from developing if cast before it happens.
Damaged Eye:
This represents serious but not outright blinding damage; it can be either to the eye itself or to
surrounding tissues, such as the muscles controlling eye movement, in which case the result might be a
disturbing tendency toward double vision rather than reduced vision as such. Generally speaking Old
World medical knowledge and techniques are insufficient to repair this kind of damage although magic
might do some good.
BS and sight-based Perception tests suffer a penalty of -10% and the benefit bonus of any Talent
aiding such tests (Excellent Vision, Keen Senses and Sharpshooter but not Marksman) is halved.
Damage to an eye is usually highly visible, whether in the form of evident scarring or uncoordinated
eye movements, reducing Fel by -5% for Fel-based tests where appearance is important (such as
Charm tests). An eye-patch will remove this penalty but will result in the penalties for Lost Eye while
the patch is worn.
Natural Healing: Little can be done except rinse the eye with water to remove foreign objects or
turning the eyelid inside out to inspect for such objects caught under the lid. Regardless, the damage
and penalties are unaffected.
Surgical Healing: Although a surgeon might be able to stitch a slashed eyelid or make other
cosmetic repairs (although most surgeons would refrain from trying to do anything involving needles
or scalpels so close to the eyes of a patient who might flinch at inconvenient moments) it is not enough
to repair the damage or reduce the penalties.
Magical Healing: If performed within one day of taking the damage a miracle-heal spell will
completely repair a damaged eye. Otherwise it will count as a repair-heal spell, in which case cosmetic
damage will be repaired to such an extent that Fel is not affected at all but the other penalties remain.
A quick-heal spell has no benefit.

Lost Eye:
This represents blinding damage and might even remove the eye from its socket altogether. Only
strong magic brought to bear immediately can return sight to the victim.
BS and sight-based Perception tests suffer a penalty of -20% and the benefit bonus of any Talent
aiding such tests (Excellent Vision, Keen Senses and Sharpshooter but not Marksman) is lost due to a
loss of depth perception. Since peripheral vision is also strongly affected the bonus an opponent
receives for outnumbering a character with a Lost Eye is increased by 10%. (For example, being
outnumbered by two-to-one gives the opponents a +20% bonus each.) Eye-patches are such a common
sight in the Old World that no Fel penalties are caused by being one-eyed.
An eye-socket with a missing or damaged eye is prone to infection. The character who receives an
injury causing a Lost Eye must pass an Easy (+20%) T test or contract an Abscess after d10 days.

If a character with a Lost Eye suffers a Damaged Eye injury to his healthy eye penalties to BS and
sight-based Perception tests are increased to -30% and an extra penalty of -10% to his WS and any
skill or characteristics tests where good vision is deemed important (GMs call) is also added.
If a character suffers a Lost Eye injury to both eyes he is blind. His BS is reduced to zero and he
may never perform any sight-based Perception tests. He may never move at better than half his M
since he cannot see where he is going and must, unless led by someone else or using a stick to feel his
way forward, make an Ag test every turn that he tries to move at better than a M of 1 or stumble and
fall (unless the path is perfectly straight and smooth; GMs call). He suffers a -50% penalty to all WS
tests and loses all free parries (he may exchange attacks for parries if he has the Lightning Parry
Talent) as well as any Dodge Blow skill. In any situation where sight is deemed important the GM
should feel free (and indeed obligated) to slap the poor character with reductions of or more to any
skill or characteristics tests. It would be simpler to simply roll up a new character...
Natural Healing: A successful Heal skill test involves stitching the socket shut to prevent infection
and allows the character to re-roll a failed T test if performed within one day of receiving the injury.
Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent involves a more thorough
treatment of the empty socket (if necessary removing the remains of the eyeball first) before stitching
it shut. If performed before an Abscess has formed it counts as a successful T test to resist contracting
it.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will remove the risk of contracting an Abscess if performed
within one day of receiving the injury but will bring no further benefit. A repair-heal spell will do the
same and might even restore the eyeball in its place if the magician so desires, which will be
cosmetically beneficial (the character can skip the eye-patch without grossing people out) but will not
restore sight. A miracle-heal spell will completely repair a Lost Eye and restore sight if performed
within two turns of receiving the injury; otherwise it will count as a repair-heal spell. A Cure Disease
spell will, of course, affect any Abscess as usual, also preventing one from developing if cast before it
happens.

Concussion:
This represents something a bit more serious than a simple knock-out, with the character feeling
rather awful when waking up, even some risk of falling into a permanent coma. The brain has quite
literally been rattled around inside the skull, explaining the rather severe effects, even though no real
structural damage has been caused.
A character with a Concussion has been knocked unconscious and will remain unconscious for 2d10
hours, after which he must roll a Normal T test. Success means he will experience headache, nausea,
blurred vision and fatigue for 2d10 hours, causing a penalty of -10% to battle skills, Ag, Int, Fel and
WP while it lasts. If the test fails the effects last d10 days and he will have to roll a second test. Failure
on the second test means he suffers amnesia, a memory-loss of the hours immediately preceding the
injury, plus he must roll a third test. Failure on the third test means he slips into a coma from
dangerous swelling of the brain and will die in 2xTB days unless revived.
Natural Healing: A successful Heal skill test will mean you have managed to make a character in a
coma ingest enough fluids to survive for an extra TB days. No extra benefits are gained from
attempting to treat a Concussion.

Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent will mean you have managed
to slide a tube through the patients nose or mouth into his stomach, thus enabling the surgeon to feed
him fluids and keep him alive an extra TB weeks with continuous care. No extra benefits are gained
from attempting to treat a Concussion.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will instantly awaken an unconscious character with a
Concussion but will not affect any penalties or a coma. A repair-heal spell will awaken an unconscious
character and halve any penalties from the Concussion but will not affect a coma. A miracle-heal spell
will awaken an unconscious character and remove all penalties incurred by the Concussion; if
performed on a character in a coma that character will wake up but will have to take T tests just as for
regaining consciousness from a Concussion, possibly slipping back into the coma again.

Intracranial Bleeding:
This refers to a subdural hematoma, which is a bleeding between the membranes on the surface of
the brain, causing compression of the delicate brain tissue underneath; since the skull is unyielding the
softer brain gives way first. There are other forms of intracranial bleeding as well, such epidural or
subarachnoid but these are rarer and will in this context usually represent the reason behind a failed
surgery test (because no subdural bleeding was found) or outright brain damage.
A subdural bleeding usually results from trauma to the skull, sometimes with pieces of the skull
having been pushed into the cranial cavity to rupture blood-vessels and even exert further pressure on
the brain by their very presence (a depressed skull fracture, depicted in both the first season of Rome
and Master and Commander).
If unchecked, such a bleeding will slowly increase the intracranial pressure, causing ever more
serious symptoms as the ability of the brain to function properly diminishes. Disorientation and
weakness is followed by unconsciousness and altered breathing pattern, possibly seizures and finally
death.
The only real cure is a called trepanation, which involves drilling or scraping a hole in the skull to
relieve the pressure and remove any fragments of skull pressing on the brain. Actually quite a wellknown procedure in the Old World, physicians also use it for a variety of other reasons, including
(usually failed) attempts to cure migraine, epilepsy and letting out evil spirits or daemons. Needless to
say, it is not an entirely risk-free operation.
There is no immediate effect of an Intracranial Bleeding apart from the effects described in the
critical hit result, which may include being knocked out or otherwise stunned. After 24 hours the
character starts to feel increasingly nauseous and disoriented, halving his battle skills, Ag and Int.
After a further d10 hours he counts as Helpless and falls unconscious d10 hours after that. If left
untreated he will die in another d10xTB hours after that.
Natural Healing: No benefit is gained; only surgery will help.
Surgical Healing: For the trepanation procedure a proper surgical room is usually required. With
access to a surgical theatre with a proper operating table (with straps and other restraining measures) a
Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent may be taken at no penalty. Otherwise the patient will have to
be restrained by other means and/or severely drugged with alcohol or some other intoxicating
substance (four doses of Healing Draught will do the job). Other people holding him down will require
a combined S of at least three times his own. A sufficient amount of rope or other suitable material, or
a lesser number of Draughts, will add 30-60% to their combined S, depending on the GMs generosity.

If sufficient S is unavailable, half of the lacking S is deducted as a penalty to the healers skill test. (A
character with the Fearless, Stout-Hearted or Very Resilient Talent may, if they pass a Hard (-20%)
WP test, actually sit through the operation without flinching with but a minimum of restraints, in
which case no penalty is taken. Of course, only Trollslayers and other madmen would even
contemplate this...)
A successful test means that a hole has been successfully drilled in the characters skull, suitably
placed to remove blood and clots as well as any fragments of skull dislocated from the fractured skull
causing the injury. Either the hole is simply left there to close as well as it can on its own as bone
grows back or a metal plate (often a hammered-flat coin) is nailed in place and covered with a flap of
the scalp. The character will wake up in 2d10 hours (or twice that if he ingested multiple doses of
Healing Draught or a lot of alcohol for painkiller) and will then count as having woken up from a
Concussion (see above). Also, he will have to pass an Easy (+20%) T test or contract Meningitis (see
the Infections chapter).
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will have no effect. A repair-heal spell cast before the character
has fallen unconscious will stop the bleeding and the character instead counts as having just woken up
from a Concussion and will have to roll appropriate T tests. If cast after the character has fallen
unconscious as a result of his Intracranial Bleeding he will count as having fallen into a coma (see
under Concussion above), meaning hell eventually die unless revived with a miracle-heal spell but
itll take longer. The difference from a coma caused by a Concussion is that surgery can also revive the
victim. If surgery is performed successfully the effects of the coma will disappear and the character
will wake up as described under Surgical Healing above. A miracle-heal spell cast successfully on a
character with an Intracranial Bleeding who has not yet fallen unconscious will immediately cure him
of all effects; if cast on an already unconscious character hell count as having just been Concussed
and will have to roll for duration as well as appropriate T tests once he wakes up.

Brain Damage:
This represents various injuries in which parts of the brain are damaged which leads to various
handicaps and loss of function. The type of trauma inflicting the damage may vary greatly and location
is important which means that the critical hit charts usually name the exact loss of function although
this section also includes the possibility for making such damage more random in nature. Old World
medical knowledge and techniques totally lack the means to deal with this kind of injury although in
some cases various forms of therapy and training may allow some function to be regained. It is
suggested that the GM allows such therapy to be had only in remote Shallyan monasteries or from
High Elf healers or mysterious Cathayan monks, since this kind of knowledge and skills is very rare
and far from fully understood.
(It should be mentioned that the descriptions of the various symptoms caused by injury to the
locations listed below are extremely simplified and described with an eye towards playability rather
than realism.)
1. Occipital lobe damage: The visual cortex at the back of the head has been damaged, preventing
the brain from interpreting the information from the eyes even though they are undamaged. No
therapy is effective. Roll 1d10 to determine the extent of the injury. 1-4 Homonymous
hemianopsia sinister: Left-side visual field defect that has the effect of Lost Eye although
without any effects on appearance. If the character should also suffer a real Lost Eye injury the
effect is that of having suffered both a Lost Eye as well as Damaged Eye. 1-8 Homonymous
hemianopsia dexter: Right-side visual field defect that has the effects of Lost Eye although

without any effects on appearance. If the character should also suffer a real Lost Eye injury the
effect is that of having suffered both a Lost Eye as well as Damaged Eye. 9-10 Anopsia: The
character is completely blind, as described under Lost Eye.
2. Frontal lobe damage: The character becomes very uninhibited and unrestrained in a selfish and
hedonistic manner, taking what he wants with little regard for consequences, shocking his
surroundings, often acquiring a very colourful language as well. He loses the Etiquette Talent if
he had it and my never regain it. His new behaviour earns him a permanent reduction of -10% to
his Fel and the penalty should be temporarily doubled whenever the character is in polite
society. No therapy is possible. This can be hard to roleplay; if the GM approves the player of a
character with this injury may substitute such behaviour for something along the lines of the
symptoms associated in popular media with Tourettes Syndrome; sudden outbursts of
inappropriate words and phrases: Of course I and my partners would do anything to aid a
member of the Sigmarite Churchs Inquisition... WANKER! Huh? Oh I assure you Id never
refer to such a glorious personage as yourself in any derogatory manner whatsoever... you see I
have this old head injury... TURNIPS! TURNIPS AND ANTI-FREEZE! Huh? Arrested? (A
severe frontal dysfunction is actually much more far-reaching in its consequences than described
here, including decreased executive functions and flexibility, and usually quite tragic. For the
interested, I suggest checking up on the historical case of Phineas Gage.)
3. Epileptic fits: The character becomes subject to epilepsy. Any time he ends up in a situation with
emotional upset there is a 5% chance he suffers a fit. The fit lasts for 2d10 turns during which he
counts as Helpless. Afterwards he is tired and disorientated, suffering a -10% penalty to all tests
for the next d10 hours. No therapy is possible, which doesnt stop some physicians from trying
all sorts of strange cures, including trepanation. Anyone seeing such a fit might misinterpret it as
some sort of possession, especially in small or insular communities where people havent seen
such fits before.
4. Temporal lobe damage: The character becomes very forgetful and easily distracted. This has the
effect of reducing his Int characteristic by -5% and the GM should force Int tests whenever there
is a need to recall things. Roleplay it! No therapy is possible.
5. Left parietal lobe damage: The characters speech centre is damaged, preventing him from
formulating sentences and writing. He becomes effectively mute and illiterate, although he can
still use any Secret Signs he knows even though he lacks the ability to communicate any
complex messages to anyone. Also, the left side of the brain is where artistic ability is said to be
located, so the character suffers a -20% penalty to any Trade or Performer skill where artistic
skill is important. No therapy is possible. (Strictly speaking you rarely see an isolated expressive
aphasia like this since there is usually also a loss of receptive as well as expressive function
when this area is damaged but that is too hard to both represent in rules and to roleplay, and Im
aiming for dramatic effect rather than realism in this case.)
6. Right parietal lobe damage: The characters sense of direction is hopelessly jumbled. He would
get lost in his own backyard and thus loses any Navigation skill and Orientation Talent he may
have. Occasionally he will even lose direction when dressing himself, ending up with his
trousers on backwards or buttons all mismatched with their buttonholes. No therapy is possible.
(Strictly speaking a character with a severe spatial dysfunction would have problems with most
practical tasks as well but that would make the character virtually unplayable and Im aiming for
dramatic effect rather than realism in this case.)
7. Facial paralysis: The facial nerve on one side is damaged, either at its base in the brain or
somewhere along its course. One side of the characters face droops and his speech becomes

slurred. Eye movement is unimpaired but the eyelid also droops, partially blocking the vision of
that eye. The character suffers a -10% penalty to his Fel due to his bizarre appearance and slurred
speech, also suffering a -10% penalty to any language tests where making himself heard and
understood clearly is important. Several weeks of therapy can halve the penalties if given within
six months of the injury.
8. Partial paralysis: One side of the characters body suffers a loss of strength and coordination,
effectively becoming completely paralyzed. The character is unable to move without help except
by a slow crawl, dragging and pushing himself forward by his remaining functional arm and leg.
He can do any task that only requires one arm but cannot perform any task requiring two hands
or use of more than one leg. With several weeks if therapy he will gradually regain some
function, able to use weakened limbs on the affected side to some degree, suffering a penalty of
-20% to any tasks dependent on the weaker sides limbs and a penalty of -10% to any physical
tasks or skills requiring use of all limbs (such as climbing or dancing).His M characteristic is
halved and all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%).
9. Cerebellum damage: The characters hind brain is damaged. This area works to coordinate
movements and the damage causes a penalty of -10% to Ag and -1 to M. No therapy is possible.
10. Monothematic delusion: The character suffers bizarre delusions. Examples can include that
people around him are actually the same person in disguise or identical-looking impostors, or
even that the whole area is in fact an identical location somewhere else. This has the effect of
gaining the character two extra IP. No therapy is possible.
Natural Healing: The only natural healing is the therapy suggested; there are no known methods
to regrow lost brain tissue.
Surgical Healing: See Natural Healing.
Magical Healing: Only miracle-heal spells have any effect. If cast within one hour of receiving the
injury it counts as having received therapy; if cast later there is no effect.

Short summary on Head Injuries:

Jaw Fractures:

A Minor Jaw Fracture causes a -20% penalty to all speech related tests and necessitates a
liquid diet. The default time to heal six weeks, after which the character will have to pass a
Very Easy (+30%) T test or suffer lifelong problems in the form of headaches and painful
clicking of the jaw joint but gaining no other penalties apart from that. A successful Heal
skill test performed within two weeks of the receiving the injury will allow a re-roll. If the
healer also had the Surgery Talent the jaw heals without complications in only four weeks.
Repair-heal or miracle-heal spells instantly heal a Minor Jaw Fracture; a quick-heal spell
merely halves the default time to heal.

A Major Jaw Fracture will automatically cause the complications of a Minor Jaw Fracture
as well as forcing a T test to avoid having Fel reduced by d10/2 if left untreated. Default
time to heal is six weeks. A successful Heal skill test performed within two weeks of
receiving the injury will remove the necessity for the T test to avoid Fel reduction. If the
healer also had the Surgery Talent the jaw heals without complications in six weeks. A
quick-heal spell halves the default time to heal. A repair-heal reduces the time to heal to two

weeks and ensures healing without complications. A miracle-heal spell instantly heals a
Major Jaw Fracture without complications.

A Severe Jaw Fracture is often fatal, forcing a T test to avoid death from suffocation in
3xTB turns, the character counting as Helpless wile choking. A successful Heal skill test
will allow a new T test to survive. If still choking he can be saved by a successful Heal skill
test with the Surgery Talent, representing an emergency tracheotomy (taking two turns).
Assuming he hasnt choked to death hell have to pass another T test to avoid contraction
an Abscess after d10 days, unless the remains of the lower jaw are amputated by use of the
Heal skill with the Surgery Talent or he receives the benefit of a quick-heal spell. Assuming
the character has survived all this he now lacks a lower jaw, is effectively mute, has to
reduce his Fel to a mere 5% for any face-to-face interactions with other people and also has
severe problems feeding himself, losing all increases to his S and T at a rate of 10% per
month, and can now never complete any new career requiring increases in either
characteristic. A repair-heal test will stop choking as well as prevent an Abscess forming,
allowing a lifeless, useless and often visibly mangled lower jaw to remain in place, with
effects on feeding and speech as described above although the Fel reduction is reduced to
-20%. A miracle-heal spell performed within one day will successfully heal a Severe Jaw
Fracture, making it count as a Minor Jaw Fracture with no risk of complication, otherwise
counting as a repair-heal spell if performed later. A Cure Disease spell will, of course, affect
any Abscess as usual, also preventing one from developing if cast before it happens.

Damaged Eye:

BS and sight-based Perception tests suffer a penalty of -10% and the benefit bonus of any
Talent aiding such tests (Excellent Vision, Keen Senses and Sharpshooter but not
Marksman) is halved. Fel is reduced by -5% for Fel-based tests where appearance is
important (such as Charm tests). An eye-patch will remove this penalty but will result in the
penalties for Lost Eye while the patch is worn. Neither Natural nor Surgical Healing brings
any benefit to a Damaged Eye injury.

If performed within one day of taking the damage a miracle-heal spell will completely
repair a damaged eye. Otherwise it will count as a repair-heal spell, in which case cosmetic
damage will be repaired to such an extent that Fel is not affected at all but the other
penalties remain. A quick-heal spell has no benefit.

Lost Eye:

BS and sight-based Perception tests suffer a penalty of -20% and the benefit bonus of any
Talent aiding such tests (Excellent Vision, Keen Senses and Sharpshooter but not
Marksman) is lost. The bonus an opponent receives for outnumbering a character with a
Lost Eye is increased by 10%. The character who receives an injury causing a Lost Eye
must pass an Easy (+20%) T test or contract an Abscess after d10 days. Eye-patches are
such a common sight in the Old World that no Fel penalties are caused by being one-eyed.

Lost Eye, Natural Healing: A successful Heal skill test performed within one day of
receiving the injury allows the character to re-roll a failed T test.

Lost Eye, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent performed
before an Abscess has formed counts as a successful T test to resist contracting it.

Lost Eye, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will remove the risk of contracting an
Abscess if performed within one day of receiving the injury but will bring no further benefit.

A repair-heal spell will do the same and might even restore the eyeball in its place if the
magician so desires, which will be cosmetically beneficial (the character can skip the eyepatch without grossing people out) but will not restore sight. A miracle-heal spell will
completely repair a Lost Eye and restore sight if performed within two turns of receiving the
injury; otherwise it will count as a repair-heal spell.
Concussion:

A character who receives a Concussion is unconscious for 2d10 hours and will suffer a
penalty of -10% to battle skills, Ag, Int, WP and Fel for 2d10 hours upon waking up. He
also has to roll a Normal T test and keep rolling new tests until he succeeds. A first failure
means the penalty lasts d10 days; a second failure means loss of memory for the hours
immediately preceding the Concussion; a third failure means he slips into a coma and will
die after 2xTB days.

A character in a coma who is treated with a successful Heal skill test will survive for an
extra TB days. If the healer also has the Surgery Talent and keeps up continuous treatment
the character in coma will survive for TB weeks. A quick-heal spell will instantly awaken an
unconscious character with a Concussion but will not affect any penalties or a coma. A
repair-heal spell will awaken an unconscious character and halve any penalties from the
Concussion but will not affect a coma. A miracle-heal spell will awaken an unconscious
character and remove all penalties incurred by the Concussion; if performed on a character
in a coma that character will wake up but will have to take T tests just as for regaining
consciousness from a Concussion, possibly slipping back into the coma again.

Intracranial Bleeding:

A character with an Intracranial Bleeding halves his battle skills, Ag and Int after 24 hours
has passed from receiving the injury. After a further d10 hours he becomes Helpless and
falls unconscious a further d10 hours after that. If left untreated he will die in d10xTB
hours.

Intracranial Bleeding, Natural Healing: No benefit.

Intracranial Bleeding, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent
represents a trepanation (complete with a metal plate to cover the hole) and the character
will awaken in 2d10 hours, counting as having just woken up from a Concussion, as
described above. He also has to pass an Easy (+20%) T test or contract Meningitis (see the
Infections chapter). The surgeon takes a penalty to his test unless the patient is
appropriately restrained (see main text) during the operation, although a character with the
Fearless, Stout-Hearted or Very Resilient Talent may attempt self-restraint which requires
passing a Hard (-20%) WP test.

Intracranial Bleeding, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will have no effect. A repairheal spell cast before the character has fallen unconscious will stop the bleeding and the
character instead counts as having just woken up from a Concussion. If cast after the
character has fallen unconscious he will count as having fallen into a coma (see under
Concussion above) although surgery as well as magical healing can also revive him. If
surgery is performed successfully the effects of the coma will disappear and the character
will wake up as described under Surgical Healing above. A miracle-heal spell cast
successfully on a character with an Intracranial Bleeding who has not yet fallen
unconscious will immediately cure him of all effects; if cast on an already unconscious

character hell count as having just received a Concussion, including having to roll for the
duration of his unconsciousness.
Brain Damage:

The effects vary but no natural or surgical healing is possible. Magical healing with
miracle-heal spells performed within one hour of receiving the injury or a long period of
physical therapy (allowed only at the GMs call) may in some cases lessen the effects (see
main text).

Alternate simplified version of Head Injuries:

Jaw Fractures:

A Minor Jaw Fracture causes a penalty of -20% to all speech-related tests and necessitates
a liquid diet for six weeks. A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent or a quickheal spell will halve that time. Either a repair-heal or miracle-heal spell will instantly heal a
Minor Jaw Fracture.

A Major Jaw Fracture causes the same penalties as a Minor Jaw Fracture and, if
untreated, also causes a permanent reduction of Fel by d10/2% due to asymmetries of the
face and general grumpiness caused by the constant headaches resulting from the
misaligned teeth. A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent, a repair-heal spell or a
miracle-heal will remove the Fel reduction; the time required to heal is affected the same as
for a Minor Jaw Fracture.

A Severe Jaw Fracture causes death within 3xTB turns due to choking unless a successful
Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent or repair-heal spell is performed. In either case the
character now no longer has a functional lower jaw and is effectively mute and has his Fel
reduced to a mere 5% due to the hideous appearance of his face. In addition he may never
increase his S or T any further (and may thus not complete any career requiring this) due to
having to subsist on a liquid diet.

Eye Injury:

A Damaged Eye reduces BS and sight-related Perception skill tests by -10%. Only a
miracle-heal spell can restore full eyesight.

A Lost Eye reduces BS and sight-related Perceptions skill tests by -20% and opponents get
an additional +10% to hit bonus if outnumbering the character. Only a miracle-heal spell
performed within two turns may restore a Lost Eye.

Concussion:

A character with a Concussion is unconscious for 2d10 hours and will also suffer a penalty
of -10% to all tests for an additional 2d10 hours after waking up. Unless passing a T test he
will also suffer a memory loss of the hours immediately preceding his Concussion. If he
rolls a natural 100 on the die-roll when testing for amnesia he doesnt wake up, instead
sliding into a coma.

A quick-heal spell will instantly awaken a Concussed character. A repair-heal spell will also
remove any penalties and amnesia upon awakening. A miracle-heal spell is the only thing
(apart from using a Fate Point) that can awaken a character in a coma.

Intracranial Bleeding:

A character with an Intracranial Bleeding will begin to suffer a penalty of -20% to all tests
24 hours after receiving the injury. A further d10 hours after that he will lose consciousness
and will die within another d10xTB hours.

A repair-heal spell cast before the character has lost consciousness will stop the
Intracranial Bleeding from progressing further and the character will instead count as
having just awakened from a Concussion. If already unconscious only a successful miracleheal spell or surgery can help him. The former will make the character count as having just
awakened from a Concussion. The latter requires either a proper operating table with
restraining straps or that the character has the Fearless, Stout-Hearted or Very Resilient
Talent, in which case he can manage to endure the operation with a minimum of restraints.
Success with a Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent will count as the character having just
received a Concussion rather than the original injury.

Brain Damage:

The effects vary but no natural or surgical healing is possible. Magical healing with
miracle-heal spells performed within one hour of receiving the injury or a long period of
physical therapy (allowed only at the GMs call) may in some cases lessen the effects (see
main text).

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

A Minor Jaw Fracture forces the NPC to pass a T test or be knocked unconscious. If he
passes he will be stunned for d10 turns.

A Major Jaw Fracture causes an instant KO on the NPC.

A Severe Jaw Fracture will cause the NPC to become Helpless and choke to death within
d10 turns.

A Damaged Eye will force the NPC to retreat from the battle.

A Lost Eye will make the NPC Helpless for the duration of the battle, as well as blinding
him.

A Concussion will knock the NPC unconscious and make him feel very sick when he wakes
up the next day, assuming he survives the battle.

An Intracranial Bleeding will knock the NPC unconscious. Hell never wake up, sliding
into a coma and quietly dying within the next day or two.

Brain Damage is instantly fatal for Unimportant NPCs.

DISLOCATED JOINTS
This chapter deals with injuries to the soft tissues of joints, the sort that does not properly fit into
either the Fractures or Muscle & Tendon Damage chapters. Depending on the nature of the injury they
might be quite temporary in nature (a simple matter of popping the joint back again) or quite severe
and crippling (such as when ligaments are torn).
Dislocated Shoulder:
The shoulder is an odd joint, allowing great mobility but hardly being very stable, depending mostly
on muscular connections for stability. A powerful blow can separate the bone of the upper arm (the
humerus) from the shoulder (actually from the joint against the shoulder-blade, the scapula), causing
great pain and significantly reduced mobility.
A dislocated shoulder effectively makes the arm useless, though the hand can still be used for
gripping lighter objects. Unless the arm is immobilized with a sling the pain is so great that the
character suffers a penalty of -10% to all other physical activity as he tries to keep his injured arm
from being jarred. Providing a sling does not require any Heal skill tests.
Natural Healing: If left unattended with nothing but a sling to ease the pain the arm will remain
useless for d10 weeks, whereupon some function is regained, enabling the character to use the arm
with a penalty of -20% for any tests requiring any amount of force or strength. This penalty will be
halved within another two weeks after which the character must pass an Easy (+20%) T test to regain
full function after a further two weeks. Failure will mean the penalty becomes permanent.
A successful Heal skill test performed at any time before the penalty has become permanent will pop
the shoulder back in place. This represents a rather rough method of doing things which is very painful
for the patient, with one or more people forcefully tugging the arm back into place. The character will
suffer a -20% penalty to any tests made with that arm for the next d10/2 days whereupon full function
is regained.
Surgical Healing: A trained surgeon with a certain amount of anatomical knowledge can often make
the process of popping a shoulder back into place significantly less unpleasant, sometimes even
manipulating both arm and body position in such a way as to literally let it drop back into place. A
successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent performed at any time before the penalty has become
permanent will immediately restore full function without penalties.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will reduce the time the arm is useless from d10 days to none
but any penalties after that remain unaffected by the spell. A repair-heal spell performed at any time
before the penalty has become permanent will immediately restore full function without penalties. A
miracle-heal spell will also remove any permanent penalty caused by an untreated dislocation.
Dislocated Knee:
This represents damage to the ligaments and cartilage inside the knee joint, the kind of injury that
happens to soccer players or other athletes who take bad stumbles or tackles. The result is that the
whole knee joint becomes unstable, leading to wobbliness and poor balance. These ligaments tend to
heal poorly and Old World surgical techniques are insufficient for any kind of repair.
Dislocated Knee (Minor):
This represents damage to some of the cruciate ligaments and/or a meniscus that causes a penalty of
-1 to M and makes all Dodge Blow tests count as Difficult (-10%). The GM should use any

opportunity to harass the character with descriptions of various aches and other discomforts caused by
bad weather or long marches.
Dislocated Knee (Major):
This represents a very bad injury with most of the ligaments entirely severed and the cartilage badly
torn. The knee is either so stiff or so unstable that the character suffers a penalty of -2 to M and makes
all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%).
Natural Healing: This type of injury does not resolve spontaneously, nor can someone with the Heal
skill do more than wrap the knee in order to keep any swelling down, having no effect ruleswise.
Surgical Healing: No further benefit can be had from the Surgery Talent.
Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell has no effect. A repair-heal spell cast within one week of
receiving the injury means a Dislocated Knee (Minor) will heal without penalties while a Dislocated
Knee (Major) injury will turn it into a Dislocated Knee (Minor). A miracle-heal spell cast at any time
will completely heal a either injury if cast within one week of receiving it; if cast later it will
completely heal a Dislocated Knee (Minor) while turning a Dislocated Knee (Major) into a Dislocated
Knee (Minor).

Short summary on Dislocated Joints:

Dislocated Shoulder:

A dislocated shoulder makes the arm useless, though the hand can still be used for gripping
lighter objects. Unless the arm is immobilized with a sling the pain is so great that the
character suffers a penalty of -10% to all other physical activity tests.

Dislocated Shoulder, Natural Healing: The arm will remain useless for d10 weeks,
thereafter suffering a penalty of -20% for any tests requiring any amount of force or
strength. This penalty will be halved within another two weeks after which the character
must pass an Easy (+20%) T test to regain full function after a further two weeks. Failure
will mean the penalty becomes permanent. A successful Heal skill test performed at any
time before the penalty has become permanent will pop the shoulder back in place although
the character will suffer a -20% penalty to any tests made with that arm for the next d10/2
days whereupon full function is regained.

Dislocated Shoulder, Surgical Healing: A successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent
performed at any time before the penalty has become permanent will immediately restore
full function without penalties.

Dislocated Shoulder, Magical Healing: A quick-heal spell will reduce the time the arm is
useless from d10 days to none but any penalties after that remain unaffected by the spell. A
repair-heal spell performed at any time before the penalty has become permanent will
immediately restore full function without penalties. A miracle-heal spell will also remove
any permanent penalty caused by an untreated dislocation.

Dislocated Knee:

A Dislocated Knee (Minor) will cause a penalty of -1 to M and make all Dodge Blow tests
count as Difficult (-10%).

A Dislocated Knee (Major) will cause a penalty of -2 to M and make all Dodge Blow tests
count as Hard (-20%).

No benefit can be had from the Heal skill, with or without the Surgery Talent.

A quick-heal spell has no effect. A repair-heal spell cast within one week of receiving the
injury means a Dislocated Knee (Minor) will heal without penalties while a Dislocated Knee
(Major) injury will turn it into a Dislocated Knee (Minor). A miracle-heal spell cast at any
time will completely heal a either injury if cast within one week of receiving it; if cast later it
will completely heal a Dislocated Knee (Minor) while turning a Dislocated Knee (Major)
into a Dislocated Knee (Minor).

Alternate simplified version of Dislocated Joints:

Dislocated Shoulder:

A Dislocated Shoulder makes the arm useless. If left untreated the arm will regain function
after d10 weeks but suffer a penalty of -20% to all tests requiring any amount of force or
strength for a further d10/2 weeks before healing completely.

Either a successful Heal skill test or any healing spell will pop the shoulder back into place
and no further penalties are suffered.

Dislocated Knee:

A Dislocated Knee (Minor) will cause a penalty of -1 to M and make all Dodge Blow tests
count as Difficult (-10%).

A Dislocated Knee (Major) will cause a penalty of -2 to M and make all Dodge Blow tests
count as Hard (-20%).

A repair-heal spell will reduce the level of a Dislocated Knee by one step (Major to Minor,
Minor to none, although it cant be repeated twice) while a miracle-heal spell will restore
full function regardless of the level.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

A Dislocated Shoulder makes the NPC retreat from the battle and makes his arm useless for
several weeks unless treated by a healer who pops it back into place.

A Dislocated Knee (Minor) reduces the NPCs M by -1 and makes him unable to perform
Dodge Blow tests for the duration of the battle.

A Dislocated Knee (Major) leaves the NPC unable to stand or walk for the duration of the
battle and leaves him permanently crippled and in need of crutches if he survives.

LOSS OF LIMBS
This chapter deals with traumatic amputation as well as the various prosthetics and crutches
available in the Old World.
Traumatic Amputation & Limb Loss:
This is damage that is so severe a limb is severed or torn off outright, either fully or so nearly as to
make no difference, the limb hanging by a few threads of flesh. It is usually accompanied by some
degree of Bleeding critical damage result as well (see the Bleeding chapter) since one or more large
arteries are severed as a result of the injury. Limb loss can also be the result of deliberate amputation
to save a patient from gangrene or to remove an offending mutation. In the critical hit charts an
outright amputation will be referred to as Traumatic Amputation (Limb) but will always have the
effects of Limb Loss (Limb) described below apart from the immediate effects (bleeding, stunning,
etc) described in the hit result. The main difference is that a Traumatic Amputation (Limb) can
sometimes be helped by the Golden Tears miracle-heal spell from the Shallyan Lore, as described
below.
Limb Loss (Hand): This represents a functional loss of the hand. It can be through loss of most of
the whole lower arm or merely loss of all the fingers, rendering any remaining part of the hand useless.
The character can still use the remainder of the arm to perform simple tasks that requires neither grip
nor finesse, such as pushing things around on a table surface or carrying saddle-bag by its straps, but is
severely limited in the normally two-handed tasks he can do, having to use his mouth to make knots,
hold lock-picks, etc. If such a task can conceivably be performed with only one hand the GM should
allow it at no penalty but double or triple (or more) the amount of time it takes. He may not use any
two-handed close combat weapons and can only reload and use slings, gunpowder weapons or
crossbows (taking three times the usual time to reload and staying in the same spot while doing it).
The arm will still have to be armoured as enough of it remains to be considered an intact hit location,
although of course any damage results affecting the hand are exchanged for the nearest reasonable
higher result.
Limb Loss (Arm): This represents a loss of the arm at approximately the level of the elbow or
above.
For normally two-handed tasks, use the same limitations as for Limb Loss (Hand) except that only
slings and pistols may benefit from the Aim manoeuvre due to the lack of steadying provided from an
extra arm.
The arm is no longer considered a hit location and does not need armour. Any hits from ranged
weapons are considered to have missed and an extra die-roll is made to determine hit location by close
combat hits (hitting the same missing limb a second time is considered a miss).
Limb Loss (Foot): This represents a functional loss of the foot. It can be through loss of most of the
whole lower leg or merely the loss of a significant part of the foot itself, rendering normal walking on
it impossible.
Unaided by a peg-leg or crutches (see below) the character is unable to move faster than at M 1,
hopping along on one leg. He is unable to use the Dodge Blow skill and must pass an Ag test each turn
he moves like this on any but the most even ground or if he engages in combat, falling down if he fails
(counting as knocked down). The alternative is crawling at M which entails no risk of falling and

counts as being knocked down in combat, counting all Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%) and close
combat attacks as Difficult (-10%).
The leg will still have to be armoured as enough of it remains to be considered an intact hit location,
although of course any damage results affecting the foot are exchanged for the nearest reasonable
higher result.
Limb Loss (Leg): This represents a loss of the leg at approximately the level of the knee or above.
Unaided by a peg-leg or crutches (see below) the character is unable to move faster than at M 1,
hopping along on one leg. He is unable to use the Dodge Blow skill and must pass an Ag test each turn
he moves like this on any but the most even ground or if he engages in combat, falling down if he fails
(counting as knocked down). The alternative is crawling at M which entails no risk of falling and
counts as being knocked down in combat, counting all Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard (-30%) and
close combat attacks as Hard (-20%). The increased difficulty is because of the loss of leverage that
can still be exerted by half a leg; a character still able to kneel (even if one leg ends somewhere below
the knee) is capable of twisting and turning without too much difficulty compared to someone with
only a single knee.
The leg is no longer considered a hit location and does not need armour. Any hits from ranged
weapons are considered to have missed and an extra die-roll is made to determine hit location by close
combat hits (hitting the same missing limb a second time is considered a miss).
Limb Loss (Legless): This represents loss of both feet and/or legs from having contracted Limb
Loss (Foot) or (Leg) on both sides.
Unaided, the character can only move along by crawling or lifting himself along by his arms at M ,
counting all Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard (-30%) and close combat attacks as Hard (-20%). He is
capable of climbing ropes or ladders by pulling himself along by his arms but the GM should require S
tests to do this.
Limb Loss (Fingers): The hand has one thumb and four fingers. Losing just one joint does not
count as loss of a finger; a Limb Loss (Fingers) represents losing enough of one or more fingers to
make them useless. The critical hit result will tell you which fingers are lost (sometimes both number
and location are random) and the effects are described below.
Losing a thumb means you no longer have an opposing digit to create a strong grip. Since you can
no longer grip a weapon properly you suffer a penalty of -10% to battle skills when using that hand.
Tests requiring fine manipulation and delicate manual dexterity suffer a -20% penalty if the injured
hand is the characters main hand (usually the right unless he has the Ambidexterity Talent), reduced
to -10% if the opposite hand is the injured one and the task requires two hands (usually the case).
Losing one finger is more of a cosmetic concern than a reduction of function, causing no penalties.
(Strictly speaking this depends on the finger but for simplicitys sake this is ignored.) Losing two
fingers means you suffer penalties. Tests requiring fine manipulation and delicate manual dexterity
suffer a -10% penalty if the injured hand is the characters main hand (usually the right unless he has
the Ambidexterity Talent). Losing three fingers (including the thumb, if that was also lost) means you
can no longer use close combat weapons with that hand. You can fire a bow, handgun or crossbow
although reloading will take twice as long. (To fire a bow if all you have on your right hand is a thumb
and one more finger requires a thumb ring of bone or leather as you draw it with your thumb.) Pistols,
crossbow pistols or slings cannot be used. Penalties for other tasks are the same as for losing a thumb.
Losing four or more fingers means the hand is effectively useless for most tasks.

Natural Healing: It is not possible to reattach a severed limb with Old World surgical techniques but
various other critical hit effects from a Traumatic Amputation (Limb), such as Bleeding, are usually
treatable (see the relevant chapters).
Surgical Healing: See Natural Healing.
Magical Healing: Quick-heal and repair-heal spells cannot reattach a severed limb but various other
critical hit effects from a Traumatic Amputation (Limb), such as Bleeding, are usually treatable with
these spells (see the relevant chapters). The only miracle-heal spell that can heal a Traumatic
Amputation in such a way as to save the affected limb is the Shallyan Lore Golden Tears spell, which
not only affects all secondary effects (such as Bleeding) but also reattaches the limb without any loss
of function, but the latter effect only if the spell was cast within two turns of the wounded character
receiving the injury. It has no effect on severed heads, only hands/arms and feet/legs.

Prosthetics:
Despite rumours of near-miraculous Dwarven artefacts such as artificial golden hands and rocketpowered legs most people in the Old World have to make do with significantly less advanced
prosthetics if they are so unlucky as to emerge from a fight minus a limb or two.
Limb Loss (Hand):
Hook: Price and exact appearance varies wildly, some examples including various (more or less)
practical refinements such as extra or exchangeable blades and even tools or clamps for gripping. A
simple hook counts as an Improvised Weapon in close combat and cannot be used for parries or be
thrown. Although useful for many things, such as waving in someones face when you use the
Intimidate skill or peeling apples (if you have a really sharp edge on the hook) it does not allow
normally two-handed tasks to be performed well enough to remove the effects described under Limb
Loss (Hand).
Weapon Prosthesis: Various Hand Weapons (usually a heavy cleaver-like blade), Daggers, Morning
Stars and even Bucklers can be attached to the wrist stump for use in combat. However, the absence of
the flexibility and extra control afforded by a hand and wrist reduces WS by 10% when using such a
Weapon Prosthesis. Crossbow Pistols or gunpowder Pistols are also (barely) possible but loading takes
extra time, just as for Limb Loss (Hand), and BS is reduced by 10% when aiming such a weapon
(which cannot be detached and used as a normal pistol).
Limb Loss (Arm):
Unless the GM feels like introducing various Dwarven (or Chaotic) artefacts there are no good
prosthetics to replace an entire arm.
Limb Loss (Foot):
Single Crutch: Using a single crutch allows the character to move at M 1 and even to fight, although
one hand (usually the one opposite to the lost limb) will be occupied holding the crutch and all Dodge
Blow tests count as Hard (-20%). The character may use the crutch as an Improvised Weapon but will
have pass an Ag test each turn he does this to avoid falling.
Two Crutches: Using one crutch under each arm the character can move at M 2 although both arms
will be occupied holding the crutches and all Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%). Dropping
one crutch will make the character count as having a Single Crutch (see above).

Peg Leg: A character with a Peg Leg suffers a penalty of -1 to M and all Dodge Blow tests count as
Difficult (-10%). The GM should also increase the difficulty of all tests requiring significant use of
both legs (such as Climbing) by one (or even two) levels, possibly forcing Ag tests to retain footing on
slippery surfaces. Walking long distances on a Peg Leg is brutal punishment for a stump that isnt as
well designed as a real foot to withstand the constant bumping and chafing, so distances travelled on
foot should be reduced by as much as 25-50% per day of march.
Limb Loss (Leg):
Single Crutch: See Limb Loss (Foot).
Two Crutches: See Limb Loss (Foot).
Long Peg Leg: This is a Peg Leg that reaches above knee-level, making for a much less stable
platform than the ordinary shorter Peg Leg. A character with a Long Peg Leg suffers a penalty of -2 to
M and all Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%). The GM should also increase the difficulty of
all tests requiring significant use of both legs (such as Climbing) by one (or even two) levels, possibly
forcing Ag tests to retain footing on slippery surfaces. Distances travelled on foot should be reduced
by as much as 50-75% per day of march. It is often combined with either a Single Crutch or Two
Crutches in which case the lower penalties are used for any given situation.
Limb Loss (Legless):
Cart or Wheelchair: This is a small wheeled box or chair in which the character sits, dragging
himself along either by pulling at the wheels or pushing against the ground (usually with a pair of
wooden blocks held in his hands to prevent damage and wear to the them). The speed is totally
dependent on the terrain over which the cart/wheelchair is travelling, ranging from practically zero in
deep mud to ludicrous speeds when going downhill on a flat surface (in which case the GM should
force various tests as well as consult any houserules he may have regarding high-speed collisions).
The character counts all Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard (-30%) and suffers a penalty of -10% to his
WS when trying to hit opponents in close combat due to his limited range and mobility when confined
to his vehicle.
If the cart/wheelchair is pulled by animals of one kind or another (large dogs for example) the
maximum speed is the animals M minus 1, with suitable penalties depending on the terrain. The GM
should frequently ask the character to test against his Drive skill for this kind of travel.
Crutches & Peg Legs: If two Peg Legs (whether Long or ordinary) are combined with Two Crutches
the character can move at M 1 but may not use the Dodge Blow skill and must pass an Ag test each
turn he fights (for which he must first drop one crutch or use it as an Improvised Weapon) to avoid
falling down. Due to extremely poor balance his WS suffers a penalty of -20%.

Short summary of Loss of Limbs:

A Traumatic Amputation (Limb) can be healed completely without loss of function if a

Golden Tears spell from the Shallyan Lore is cast successfully within two turns. Other spells
may only affect other effects of such an injury, such as Bleeding.

Limb Loss:

Limb Loss (Hand): If a task can conceivably be performed with only one hand the GM
should allow it at no penalty but double or triple (or more) the amount of time it takes. The

character may not use any two-handed close combat weapons and can only reload and use
slings, gunpowder weapons or crossbows (taking three times the usual time to reload and
staying in the same spot while doing it). The arm remains a hit location although any
damage results affecting the hand are exchanged for the nearest reasonable higher result.

Limb Loss (Arm): Use the same limitations as for Limb Loss (Hand) except that only slings
and pistols may benefit from the Aim manoeuvre due to the lack of steadying provided from
an extra arm. The arm is no longer considered a hit location and does not need armour.
Any hits from ranged weapons are considered to have missed and an extra die-roll is made
to determine hit location by close combat hits.

Limb Loss (Foot): The character is unable to move faster than at M 1. He is unable to use
the Dodge Blow skill and must pass an Ag test each turn he moves on any but the most even
ground or if he engages in combat, falling down if he fails (counting as knocked down).
The alternative is crawling at M which entails no risk of falling and counts as being
knocked down in combat, counting all Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%) and close combat
attacks as Difficult (-10%). Any damage results affecting the foot are exchanged for the
nearest reasonable higher result.

Limb Loss (Leg): The character is unable to move faster than at M 1, hopping along on one
leg. He is unable to use the Dodge Blow skill and must pass an Ag test each turn he moves
like this on any but the most even ground or if he engages in combat, falling down if he
fails (counting as knocked down). The alternative is crawling at M which entails no risk
of falling and counts as being knocked down in combat, counting all Dodge Blow tests as
Very Hard (-30%) and close combat attacks as Hard (-20%). The leg is no longer considered
a hit location. Any hits from ranged weapons are considered to have missed and an extra
die-roll is made to determine hit location by close combat hits.

Limb Loss (Legless): The character can only move along by crawling or lifting himself
along by his arms at M , counting all Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard (-30%) and close
combat attacks as Hard (-20%).

Limb Loss (Fingers): Loss of the thumb gives a penalty of -10% to battle skills when using
that hand and a penalty of -20% to tests requiring fine manipulation if it was the right
(main) hand, -10% if it was the left (or the character has the Ambidexterity Talent). Loss of
one finger has no effect. Loss of two fingers gives a penalty of -10% to tests requiring fine
manipulation if the affected hand was the right and the character lacks the Ambidexterity
Talent. Loss of three fingers means the character cannot use close combat weapons and
pistols, crossbow pistols and slings while reloading bows and crossbows take twice as long
and other penalties are as for losing a thumb. Losing four or more fingers makes the hand
useless for most tasks.

Prosthetics:

A Hook (Hand) counts as an Improvised Weapon in close combat and cannot be used for
parries or be thrown.

Various Hand Weapons (usually a heavy cleaver-like blade), Daggers, Morning Stars and
even Bucklers can be attached to a Weapon Prosthesis (Hand) for use in combat at a WS
penalty of -10%. Crossbow Pistols or gunpowder Pistols are also (barely) possible but
loading takes extra time, just as for Limb Loss (Hand), and BS is reduced by 10% when
aiming such a weapon (which cannot be detached and used as a normal pistol).

No prosthesis is possible for Limb Loss (Arm).

A Single Crutch (Foot or Leg) allows the character to move at M 1 and even to fight,
although one hand (usually the one opposite to the lost limb) will be occupied holding the
crutch and all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%). The character may use the crutch as
an Improvised Weapon but will have pass an Ag test each turn he does this to avoid falling.

Two Crutches (Foot or Leg) allows the character to move at M 2 although both arms will be
occupied holding the crutches and all Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%).
Dropping one crutch will make the character count as having a Single Crutch.

A Peg Leg (Foot) reduces M by -1 and all Dodge Blow tests count as Difficult (-10%). The
difficulty of all tests requiring significant use of both legs (such as Climbing) should be
increased by one or two levels with optional Ag tests to retain footing on slippery surfaces.
Distance travelled on foot should be reduced by as much as 25-50% per day of march.

A Long Peg Leg (Leg) reduces M by -2 and all Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%).
The difficulty of all tests requiring significant use of both legs (such as Climbing) should be
increased by one or two levels with optional Ag tests to retain footing on slippery surfaces.
Distance travelled on foot should be reduced by as much as 50-75% per day of march. A
Long Peg Leg is often combined with either a Single Crutch or Two Crutches in which case
the lower penalties are used for any given situation.

A Cart/Wheelchair (Legless) makes all Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%) and
WS is reduced by -10% when the character tries to hit in close combat. Speed is dependent
on terrain as the GM sees fit. An animal-drawn Cart/Wheelchair is allowed by the GMs
permission.

With Crutches & Peg Legs (Legless) the character can move at M 1 but may not use the
Dodge Blow skill and must pass an Ag test each turn he fights (for which he must first drop
one crutch or use it as an Improvised Weapon) to avoid falling down. Due to extremely poor
balance his WS suffers a penalty of -20%.

Alternate simplified version of Loss of Limbs:

Any Traumatic Amputation (Limb) can be healed without loss of function by successful
casting of the Golden Tears spell within two turns. Other healing spells merely affect other
effects than the Limb Loss, such as Bleeding.

Limb Loss (Hand) means the character cannot use two-handed weapons. Tasks that usually
require two hands but that can conceivably be performed using only one hand take three
times as long. A prosthetic hook can be used as an Improvised Weapon.

Limb Loss (Arm) means the character cannot use two-handed weapons. Tasks that usually
require two hands but that can conceivably be performed using only one hand take three
times as long. The arm no longer counts as a hit location.

Limb Loss (Foot) means the character counts as knocked down and can only crawl at M 1
without prosthetics. A peg leg reduces M by -1 and makes all Dodge Blow tests count as
Difficult (-10%).

Limb Loss (Leg) means the character counts as knocked down and can only crawl at M 1
without prosthetics. A peg leg reduces M by -2 and makes all Dodge Blow tests count as
Hard (-20%). Adding a crutch reduces it to -1 and Difficult (-10%) respectively, but means
one hand is occupied holding the crutch.

Limb Loss (Legless) means the character counts as knocked down and can only crawl at M
without either a cart or a wheelchair, which allows him to roll along at M 1 (or faster if
downhill or on smooth ground) if using both arms to push. If immobile (due to using his
arms to fight) he counts as knocked down even though technically he is upright.

Limb Loss (Fingers) means the character suffers a penalty of -5% per finger to his battle
skills when using that hand and the same penalty to tests requiring fine manipulation and
manual dexterity.
Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

Any Traumatic Amputation (Limb) results in the NPC bleeding to death within d10 turns.
Loss of fingers instead makes him retreat from the combat.

Any Limb Loss or Prosthetics are either totally cosmetic or variously crippling with
penalties as the GM sees fit. (Usually loss of free parry for a lost arm or hand and penalties
to M and Dodge Blow for peg legs.)

ARMOUR DAMAGE
This chapter deals with damage to armour rather than flesh. The exact effects of the damage done to
a piece of armour are described in the critical hit result and mostly consist of either of two effects.
Reduced AP: Pieces have been torn away or large rents been made, reducing the AP on that location
by one or more points. This effect lasts until the armour is repaired.
Reduced mobility: A plate has been buckled or straps have snapped, hindering normal movement,
resulting in a penalty to battle skills. This affects a character until the armour has been removed and
will affect him again if the armour is worn without first being repaired.
Removing and putting on armour:
Removing armour is a time-consuming process, involving multiple straps and fastenings. It takes
one half-action per point of AP per location. You must remove one full layer at a time, outermost first,
meaning first any plate, then any mail and finally any leather.
Example: Removing Full Plate from one leg takes first one full action (one half-action per point of
AP) to remove the Plate part, then another full action to remove the Mail legging, and finally one halfaction to remove the Leather legging.
Sleeved Mail Shirts, Sleeved Mail Coats and Leather Jacks must be removed as a single unit; you
cannot remove parts of them but must remove them on all covered locations at the same time. Being
interrupted while in the process of removing any of those means your arms are trapped and cannot be
used until youve taken enough actions to complete the removal. All Helmets, Coifs and Skullcaps can
be removed with only a single half-action each.
Example: A Full Plate Armour suit is to be removed. Since the Plate parts are worn over Full Mail
Armour and Full Leather Armour (which includes a Sleeved Mail Shirt and Leather Jack) the Plate
must be removed from Body and Arms before either of the latter can be removed. Helmet, Coif and
Skullcap require one half-action each. Removing the Plate from Body and Legs takes three full actions
(two half-actions per location since Plate has AP 2). The Sleeved Mail Shirt must be removed as a
single unit, taking another three full actions (same amount of AP, same number of locations). The
Leather Jack takes one and a half action (one point of AP on a total of three locations). The character
is now wearing armour on his legs only. Each layer and leg can be removed separately, each Plate
Legging taking one full action (AP 2 each), each Mail Legging another full action (AP 2 each) and the
Leather Leggings one half-action each (AP 1 each). The whole process has taken fourteen full actions
(one half-action per layer on the head plus one half-action per AP for four additional locations is 1
plus x5x5 equals 14).
Putting armour on takes roughly twice as long, meaning a full action per point of AP. Double that
time for each location where you have only one hand available, usually meaning when youre putting
armour on your own opposite arm.
Multiple people can help with putting on armour, doing one location per person, but this prevents the
wearer from spending actions since he can only stand there and allow himself to be helped.
Example: An Imperial Knight wants to put on Full Plate Armour. If doing it himself itll take one full
action per point of AP per location on Body, Legs and Arms plus an additional one full action per AP
on the Arms (since that takes double the time because he can only use one arm) plus one full action
each for Skullcap, Coif and Helmet; a total of 38 turns. If two squires were to put it on for him it would
take five full actions for the Arms (one full action per AP, taking one arm each) and the same for the

Legs. One squire would then take another five full actions for the Body while the second would deal
with the Head (taking only three full actions), for a total of fifteen turns. Note that this is not described
in the correct order since the Sleeved Mail Shirt and Leather Jack would had to be put on as single
units before any further layers could be added.
Note that putting on armour was historically and realistically a lot more time-consuming than this
but the above rules should suffice for combat situations where PCs are caught without their armour on
or where they need to remove pieces for access to stop bleeding or when wanting to shed dented plates
that reduce mobility.
Armour Repair:
This section describes how to heal armour. It usually requires time, effort and money, although a
competent armourer is usually easier to find than a competent healer.
Only the outermost layer counts as damaged, so Full Plate Armour taking damage from a critical hit
always counts as Plate Damage rather than Mail or Leather Damage.
Magical Repair: The Transformation of Metal spell from the Lore of Metal can be used to
completely repair any damage to Mail or Plate although the Quality of the item may change as a result,
as described in the rulebook and the Realms of Sorcery supplement. The spell can be cast even if the
armour was described as irreparable due to damage.
Leather Armour Damage:
Minor: This represents mostly damage to the seams with little or only minor damage to the larger
surfaces, easily stitched together. A successful Normal Trade (Armourer or Tailor) will remove the
effects of the damage. Any professional armourer or leatherworker with access to a shop will
automatically succeed, charging 10% of the cost of the armour for that location.
Major: This represents a badly slashed or torn piece of leather armour. Patching is possible but will
look unattractive and clumsy. A successful Normal Trade (Armourer) test will remove the effects of
the damage but the items Craftsmanship can never exceed Good. Failure will also repair the damage
but Craftsmanship will be Poor. Any professional armourer with access to a shop will automatically
succeed, charging 25% of the cost of a similar Good craftsmanship item but will be more likely to try
to get you to buy a new item since itll offend his professional pride to repair such a disastrously
mangled item.
Mail/Scale Armour Damage:
Minor: This usually represents a large hole where rings have been split or scales have been torn
away. Replacement rings or scales will have to be riveted or stitched into place to close up the defect.
Performing such repair in the field is difficult but not impossible, requiring a successful Difficult
(-10%) Trade (Armourer) test to remove the effects of the damage. If performed in a proper shop the
test is Easy (+20%) and the armourer will charge 10% of the original cost of the armour for that
location regardless of whether he performs the job himself or a character does it with borrowed tools
(the tools and equipment to draw wire and rivet rings are usually constantly in use in any shop
manufacturing mail, so the character is basically just interfering with the normal routines).
Major: This represents a badly torn item, literally hanging from the character by a few scraps of
leather backing and a single row of links, providing little in the way of protection. Repair will require
a multitude of new rings or scales! This work must be performed in a proper shop with access to the
right tools and amount of materials necessary. A professional armourer will automatically succeed and

charge 30% of the original cost of the armour for that location, or 20% if a character borrows the shop
and performs the work himself (the cut represents the extra work repairing the backing and the
comparatively larger amount and complexity of new riveting required as compared to that required for
Minor damage, meaning this is the kind of work the armourer could not have left to his apprentices to
do most of) in which case a successful Normal Trade (Armourer) test is required.
Plate Armour Damage:
Minor: This usually represents damage to straps or some minor denting, requiring only minor
repairs to remove the effects of the damage. A successful Easy (+20%) Trade (Armourer) test is
required, if done by a character in the field; no more tools than a hammer and/or some spare straps are
required (always included in the appropriate Trade Tools). Any professional armourer with access to a
shop will automatically succeed, charging 1% of the cost of the armour for that location.
Major: This represents serious denting with a lot of distortion and possibly even cracking of the
plates. A full smithy with access to a hot forge and an anvil will be required to remove the effects of
the damage. Cost will be 20% of the original cost of the armour for that location, or 5% if a character
borrows a smithy and do the work themselves (which will require a successful Normal Trade
(Armourer) test).

REMOVING ARROWS AND BULLETS

This chapter deals with the removal of embedded arrowheads and bullets (or shrapnel). A hit from an
arrow/bolt or bullet/shrapnel that only causes Wound loss but no critical hit are considered to either
have not become embedded in the victim or to be stuck in such a way as to make removal easy enough
not to require any rolls or tests. Only critical hits that mention the need for either Bullet Removal
(including shrapnel from the Explosion/Shrapnel chart) or Arrow Removal (including crossbow bolts)
require use of the rules below.
Removal is defined by two qualities; the difficulty of removing the bullet/arrow and what the effects
will be if it is not removed. The levels of difficulty are Easy, Regular or Hard. The possible effects are
Minor Wound Infection (MWI), Abscess, Ache or None. A removal might thus be referred to, for
example, as Arrow Removal (Regular/Abscess), indicating that removal will require some work and
that leaving the arrowhead in the wound will result in an abscess forming.
Magical healing cannot assist in removal of arrows/bullets/shrapnel but may limit the effects, as
described below.
Difficulty of removal:
Easy: This usually represents either an arrow that has pierced all the way through the affected
location, needing only to have its point or fletching broken off in order to withdraw the shaft or push
the arrow the rest of the way through, or a bullet (or piece of shrapnel) that has lodged just underneath
the skin, often both visible and discernable by touch, requiring no more than a minor incision in order
to remove it.
No roll against skill is necessary. Removal can be swift once all armour on the location is removed,
taking little more than two turns (one full action to break off the shaft or make the incision, and one
full action to withdraw the shaft or remove the bullet). Double the time if the injured character does
the work himself and double it again if he can only use one arm (usually the case if the arrow/bullet is
removed from the other arm). However, if the healer totally lacks the Heal skill the injured character
must make an extra test for Minor Wound Infection, even if he passed the original test for having
become Heavily Wounded at the time of suffering the critical hit that necessitated the removal, since
the wound was not properly cleaned and irrigated.
Regular: This represents a case where the arrowhead/bullet/shrapnel has lodged deep and requires
tools and skills (or lacking this, a lot of brute force and a high threshold for pain) to remove.
With access to proper tools such as an arrow extractor for arrowheads or a pair of suitable pincers for
bullets (included in the Trade Tools of Barber Surgeons or Physicians) and the Heal skill with the
Surgery Talent no roll is necessary. The arrow/bullet/shrapnel comes out automatically and the wound
is professionally cleaned afterwards. This takes about five minutes in total. If the tools are lacking a
successful roll against the Heal skill is required as the surgeon has to improvise with whatever sharp
blades or other implements he can muster.
If the healer lacks the Surgery Talent things get a bit more interesting. Either the arrow/bullet can be
literally dug out or the arrow needs to be pushed through the body and withdrawn from the other side,
something that is not always practical depending on which anatomical structures might get in the way
(such as lungs, large blood-vessels, etc). Unless a Hard (-20%) Heal skill test is passed the arrow/
bullet must be left inside the wound, automatically causing whatever effect a non-removal is described
as causing for that particular result.
No attempts may be made without the Heal skill.

Hard: This represents a really difficult case with the offending arrowhead/bullet/shrapnel having
lodged somewhere highly inaccessible, such as near the spine or a large blood-vessel where attempts
to remove it may cause more harm than good. Only the most skilled surgeons would even attempt
removal in these cases!
With access to both the Surgery Talent and a proper surgical theatre, complete with an operating
table with suitable straps and restraints, a Hard (-20%) test against the surgeons Heal skill is required
for successful removal.
If someone lacking the Surgery Talent should attempt removal the GM should ask the injured
character if he has any Fate Points left and inflict the poor bugger with a Collapsed Lung, a Bleeding
(Major/Hard), permanent paralysis or some other suitable injury if there are none available.
Effects of non-removal:
None: This actually does not represent no effect at all but merely means that the character cannot
use the pierced limb properly until the arrow/bullet is removed. A typical case might be an arrow
through the biceps that causes pain whenever you try to flex the arm, a bullet lodged under the skin in
the palm of your hand preventing you from holding a weapon properly, a bolt through the neck that
somehow missed your arteries but makes you very reluctant to make any sudden moves or a large
jagged chunk of shrapnel grating against your shinbone that keeps you hopping on one leg until the
offending metal has been removed. In most (but not all) cases the removal is Easy; see the relevant
critical hit result.
If the wound is in the arm the character cannot use that arm. If the wound is in the leg he may not
use the Dodge Blow skill and can only move at half his M. If the wound is in the body or head/neck he
loses one half-action per turn. If the GM feels generous he may allow the character to roll against his
WP to make an otherwise forbidden action with a penalty of -20%.
Magical healing has no effect; as long as the bullet/arrow remains the penalty also remains.
Minor Wound Infection (MWI): The character automatically contracts a Minor Wound Infection
(see the Infections chapter) after TB/2 days if the arrow/bullet/shrapnel hasnt been removed before
then. This can be due to either the arrowhead/bullet itself or scraps of clothing, armour or other foreign
objects having been pushed into the wound by the hit.
Heal tests and Healing Poultices for treating a Minor Wound Infection caused in this manner may
not be used until the arrow/bullet/shrapnel has been removed.
If the character survives the infection and the arrow/bullet/shrapnel is left in the wound it will be
encapsulated by fibrotic scar tissue and will cause no further problems.
A Cure Disease spell will of course heal any Minor Wound Infection. Either a quick-heal or repairheal spell cast before the infection has occurred will prevent it from happening as any foreign matter is
also quickly encapsulated in scar tissue. A miracle-heal spell will do the same and heal any infection
even if it has progressed to Septicaemia.
Abscess: The character automatically contracts an Abscess after TB/2 days if the offending arrow/
bullet/shrapnel hasnt been removed before then. This is usually the case when the wound is in close
proximity to a joint or a large amount of foreign matter has been drawn into the wound, sometimes
including fragments of the projectile itself.
Abscesses are usually treatable by Heal skill tests with the Surgery Talent (see the Infections chapter)
but no such tests may be used until the arrow/bullet/shrapnel has been removed.

If the character survives the abscess and the arrow/bullet/shrapnel is left in the wound it will be
encapsulated by fibrotic scar tissue and will cause no further problems although any permanent effects
from an Abscess that turned serious due to failed T tests (see the Infections chapter) will remain.
Abscesses caused in this manner are affected by healing spells the usual way (see the Infections
chapter). If cast before an Abscess has occurred a quick-heal spell will have no effect, a repair-heal
spell will reduce the Abscess to a Minor Wound Infection and a miracle-heal spell will completely
prevent any infection from occurring at all.
Ache: The character suffers some kind of long-term penalty if the offending arrow/bullet/shrapnel
hasnt been removed. This happens when the arrowhead/bullet/shrapnel is lodged in such a manner as
to interfere with normal function. There are many possible causes such as direct mechanical
interference with muscle/tendon or joint movement, pressure on a nerve or large amounts of scar tissue
forming. Removal is generally (but not always) Hard; see the relevant critical hit result.
An Ache in an arm causes a penalty of -10% to battle skills when using that arm. An Ache in a leg
causes a penalty of -1 to M and makes all Dodge Blow tests count as Difficult (-10%). An Ache in the
body permanently reduces the W characteristic by 2. An Ache in the head/neck means the character
must pass a T test each morning; if successful all he feels is a dull pain; if unsuccessful he suffers a
penalty of -10% to Fel and Ag the rest of the day due to sharp spasms of pain shooting through his
head, neck and sometimes one or both of his arms.
No heal spells except a miracle-heal spell has any effect on an Ache. Such a spell will completely
heal an Ache, often causing the offending arrowhead, bullet or piece of shrapnel to migrate to the
surface and fall to the ground, making a useful object for an amulet or other keepsake as a reminder of
worse days.

Short summary on Removing Arrows and Bullets:

Removal of arrows/bullets/shrapnel is defined by difficulty of the removal (Easy, Regular or

Hard) and the effects of non-removal (None, Minor Wound Infection, Abscess or Ache).
The effect is suffered if removal fails. A critical hit might thus require, for example, Arrow
Removal (Regular/Minor Wound Infection).

Difficulty of removal:

Easy: Removal requires removing all armour on the affected location but only takes two
turns to accomplish with no roll necessary. Time required is doubled if the wounded
character performs the removal himself and doubled again if he only has one arm
available. If the healer lacks the Heal skill there is a risk of infection; the character must
test for Minor Wound Infection just as if he was Heavily Wounded (even if he has already
passed such a test).

Regular: Someone with both the Surgery Talent and the appropriate Trade Tools
automatically succeeds, taking about five minutes. A roll against his Heal skill is necessary
if no tools are available. If the Surgery Talent is lacking the Heal skill test counts as Hard
(-20%). No attempt may be made without any Heal skill at all.

Hard: With access to both the Surgery Talent and a proper surgical theatre, complete with
an operating table with suitable straps and restraints, a Hard (-20%) test against the
surgeons Heal skill is required for successful removal.

Effects of non-removal:

None: If the wound is in the arm the character cannot use that arm. If the wound is in the
leg he may not use the Dodge Blow skill and can only move at half his M. If the wound is in
the body or head/neck he loses one half-action per turn. If the GM feels generous he may
allow the character to roll against his WP to make an otherwise forbidden action with a
penalty of -20%. These effects last until the arrow/bullet/shrapnel is removed. Magical
healing has no effect; as long as the bullet/arrow remains the penalty also remains.

Minor Wound Infection: The character automatically contracts a Minor Wound Infection
(see the Infections chapter) after TB/2 days if the arrow/bullet/shrapnel hasnt been
removed before then. Heal tests and Healing Poultices for treating a Minor Wound
Infection caused in this manner may not be used until the arrow/bullet/shrapnel has been
removed. A Cure Disease spell will heal any Minor Wound Infection. Either a quick-heal or
repair-heal spell cast before the infection has occurred will prevent it from. A miracle-heal
spell will do the same and will heal any infection even if it has progressed to Septicaemia.

Abscess: The character automatically contracts an Abscess after TB/2 days if the arrow/
bullet/shrapnel hasnt been removed before then. Abscesses may not be treated with Heal
skill tests with the Surgery Talent (see the Infections chapter) until the arrow/bullet/
shrapnel has been removed. Abscesses caused in this manner are affected by healing spells
the usual way (see the Infections chapter). If cast before an Abscess has occurred a quickheal spell will have no effect, a repair-heal spell will reduce the Abscess to a Minor Wound
Infection and a miracle-heal spell will completely prevent any infection from occurring at
all.

Ache: The character suffers some form of penalty depending on the location of the wound,
unless the arrow/bullet/shrapnel is removed. An Ache in an arm causes a penalty of -10% to
battle skills when using that arm. An Ache in a leg causes a penalty of -1 to M and makes
all Dodge Blow tests count as Difficult (-10%). An Ache in the body permanently reduces
the W characteristic by 2. An Ache in the head/neck means the character must pass a T test
each morning; if successful all he feels is a dull pain; if unsuccessful he suffers a penalty of
-10% to Fel and Ag the rest of the day due to sharp spasms of pain shooting through his
head, neck and sometimes one or both of his arms. No heal spells except a miracle-heal
spell has any effect on an Ache. Such a spell will completely heal an Ache.

Alternate simplified version of Removal of Arrows and Bullets:

Removal of arrows/bullets/shrapnel is defined by difficulty of the removal (Easy, Regular or

Hard) and the effects of non-removal (None, Minor Wound Infection, Abscess or Ache).
The effect is suffered if removal fails. A critical hit might thus require, for example, Arrow
Removal (Regular/Minor Wound Infection).

Difficulty of removal:

Easy: Removal takes two turns and does not require any rolls.

Regular: Success is automatic if the healer has both the Surgery Talent and appropriate
Trade Tools. Without the Talent or lacking the tools a successful Heal skill test is required.

Hard: A Hard (-20%) Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent must be passed and the
operation cannot be performed in the field.

Effects of non-removal:

None: The character suffers a penalty of -20% to his battle skills (when using that arm, if
the wound is in the arm) or halves his M (if the wound is in the body or legs) or loses one
half-action per turn (if the wound is in the head) until the arrow/bullet/shrapnel is removed.
(Removal is often Easy, making this effect temporary.)

Minor Wound Infection: The character contracts an infection the next day that will give
him a penalty of -10% to all tests for d10 days. Any heal spell or the Cure Disease spell will
counteract this effect if cast before the infection is contracted. The Cure Disease spell or a
miracle-heal spell will remove the effect even if cast after the infection has occurred.

Abscess: The character contracts a pus-filled abscess that will give him a penalty of -20% to
all tests for 2d10 days. Any heal spell or the Cure Disease spell will counteract this effect if
cast before the infection is contracted. The Cure Disease spell, a miracle-heal spell or a
successful Heal skill test with the Surgery Talent will remove the effect even if cast after the
abscess has occurred.

Ache: Unless the arrow/bullet/shrapnel is removed the character will suffer a penalty of
-10% to his battle skills (when using that arm, if the wound is in an arm) or -1 to his M (if
the wound is in a leg) or -2 to his W (if the wound is in the body) or -5% to his Fel (if the
wound is in the head, due to constant pain and the sore temper resulting from it). A miracleheal spell will completely cure an Ache.

Sword Fodder Version Rules for Unimportant NPCs:

Any critical hit resulting in any Arrow/Bullet/Shrapnel Removal becoming necessary will
force the NPC to pass a WP test or retreat from the battle to nurse his hurts or simply stare
in horror at the shaft sticking out from his body.

The Hacking & Chopping chart is appropriate for weapons relying on a heavy blade for
damage, such as Hand Weapon Axes, Falchions or Broadswords, Halberds and most bladed
Great Weapons. Most less chopping-optimized one-handed swords such as shortswords,
longswords and sabres would instead use the Slashing & Cutting chart.
CRITICAL HITS - HACKING & CHOPPING DAMAGE
Arm:
1. Vs None/Leather: You only manage to connect with the flat of the blade, your blade thumping
off your opponents shoulder, staggering him. He suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle skills
until the end of his next turn. (If he was wearing None rather than Leather the penalty is
increased to -20%.)
Vs Mail/Scale: Your blade skitters along your opponents upper arm, sending sparks flying but
leaving him otherwise unharmed. He suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle skills until the end
of his next turn.
Vs Plate: Your blade rebounds off your opponents pauldron with a resounding clang, making
him flinch temporarily. He suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle skills until the end of his
next turn.
2. Vs None/Leather: Your blade doesnt quite connect with the limb-severing finality you strived
for, instead leaving a shallow cut near your opponents elbow. He suffers a penalty of -20% to
his battle skills until the end of his next turn and must pass a WP test or drop whatever he is
holding in that hand.
Vs Mail/Scale: An electric spasm of pain shoots through your opponents arm as your blow
connects with his elbow, failing to penetrate his mail but bruising him to the bone. He must
pass a T test or be stunned for one turn; if successful he may not use that arm for either
parrying or attacking until the end of his next turn.
Vs Plate: Your blow glances off your opponents elbow guard and careens along his
vambrace-clad forearm to smack painfully into the back of his hand. He may not use that arm
for either parrying or attacking until the end of his next turn.
3. Vs None/Leather: Your blade takes a chunk of flesh from the palm of your opponents hand
and causes his grip to become slippery with blood. He suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle
skills when using that hand for the duration of the battle.
Vs Mail/Scale: Your blow connects solidly with your opponents forearm, bouncing off the
mail but leaving a bone-deep bruise. He suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle skills when
using that arm for the duration of the battle.
Vs Plate: With a loud crunch of buckling metal your weapon smashes into your foes
articulated elbow guard, crumpling it and causing the joint to partially lock up. He suffers a
penalty of -10% to his battle skills until the armour is repaired, the repair counting as Minor
Damage (Plate).
4. Vs None/Leather: Your weapon sends whatever your opponent was holding in his hand flying
d10 yards away. If he was holding a shield the handle or straps break, making it useless until
repaired (requiring either a successful Trade (Armourer) test or paying a weapons smith 5% of
the shields price). The tip of one random finger also goes flying and can never be found

again, probably gobbled up by the local wildlife. Your opponent is stunned until the end of his
next turn.
Vs Mail/Scale: Your blade smashes into your foes shoulder and tears down the length of his
upper arm, splitting links or shedding scales the whole way and bruising him badly. With his
biceps muscle tenderized in such a manner your opponent suffers a penalty of -10% to his
battle skills when using that arm and must reduce damage by one point when hitting with that
arm for the duration of the battle. Also, his AP on that arm is reduced by one point, repair
counting as Minor Damage (Mail/Scale).
Vs Plate: Two fingers break as your opponents gauntlet wards off a blow that would
otherwise have severed half his hand. The injured digits are fortunately held securely in place
within the gauntlet without dislocation but the pain causes a penalty of -10% to his battle skills
when using that hand for the duration of the battle and for two more weeks or until treated by
any healing spell.
5. Vs None/Leather: The sharp edge of your weapon gashes the inside of the crook of your
opponents arm, causing blood to pour forth as a vein is slashed. Your foe is stunned until the
end of his next turn and suffers Bleeding (Minor/Easy).
Vs Mail/Scale: Your weapon comes down with great force on your opponents upper arm,
failing to cut through the armour but causing a hairline fracture of the bone and some truly
impressive bruising. Your opponent is staggered, suffering a penalty of -20% to his battle
skills when using that arm for the duration of the battle.
Vs Plate: Your blow smashes into your opponents wrist, bending the vambrace and causing
its edge to dig painfully into his wrist, preventing him from using the hand properly until the
steel has been unbent. He suffers a penalty of -20% to his battle skills when using that hand
until the armour has been removed. Repair counts as Minor (Plate).
6. Vs None/Leather: Your blade cuts into your opponents forearm, damaging muscles and
tendons. The injury counts as Minor Muscle/Tendon Damage (Arm). If he was wearing no
armour at all the sight of exposed glistening layers of twitching red muscle also so disconcerts
him he must pass a WP test or drop whatever he is holding in the opposite hand to clasp at the
wound in a vain attempt to close it.
Vs Mail/Scale: You just miss severing your foes hand and instead break his wrist as your
weapon bends links or deforms scales. The injury counts as Minor Fracture (Hand).
Vs Plate: The force of your blow almost knocks your opponent over, hitting the pauldron
protecting his shoulder hard and fracturing his collarbone with a loud snap. The injury counts
as a Broken Collarbone (see the Chest Injuries chapter).
7. Vs None/Leather: Your weapon makes a clean cut in your foes upper arm near the shoulder,
causing blood to spurt from a severed artery. This counts as a Major/Regular Bleeding.
Vs Mail/Scale: An ugly crunch is heard as your blade comes down on your opponents hand,
leaving the little finger dangling by a shred of flesh and cutting through the metacarpal (one of
the five long bones inside the hand) of the ring finger and breaking that of the middle finger as
well, leaving the hand crippled. This counts as Limb Loss (Fingers) (One Finger) as well as a
Major Fracture (Hand).

Vs Plate: Your blade slams down, breaking your opponents collarbone as his pauldron briefly
flexes under the fury of your blow. This counts as a Broken Collarbone (see the Chest Injuries
chapter) and knocks him to the ground.
8. Vs None/Leather: Your blade comes down between the middle and fourth finger of your
opponents hand, splitting the palm lengthwise in almost its entire length. This looks
absolutely gruesome, the hand parted down the middle like a lobsters claw, but fortunately for
your foe the blade passed between the long metacarpal bones inside the hand, cutting parallel
to tendons and nerves rather than severing them. He immediately drops whatever he is holding
in that hand and must pass a WP test or be stunned d10/2 turns by the horrible sight. The hand
is useless for the remainder of the battle, after which the two halves can be bound together
tightly, allowing some use of the hand while it heals. The injury counts as Major Muscle/
Tendon Damage (Hand).
Vs Mail/Scale: Your blow cuts into your foes upper arm, cleanly breaking the bone and
severing enough links in the mail to make blood flow freely down his side. The injury counts
as a Major Fracture (Arm) and a Minor/Easy Bleeding.
Vs Plate: Your foe reels as your weapon crashes down on his shoulder, splitting the straps
holding the pauldron in place and dislocating the shoulder as it is forced downward in a
manner intended by neither nature nor armourer. He is stunned until the end of his next turn
and must pass a T test or be knocked down. The injury counts as Dislocated Shoulder and
Minor Damage (Plate), with the armour not wearable until repaired (unless the wearer
dislocates his shoulder first).
9. Vs None/Leather: The edge of your weapon severs the biceps muscle of your opponents
upper arm from its tendonous attachment to the bones of his forearm, leaving the bulk of that
important muscle as a wobbling useless lump in its muscle sheath under the skin. This counts
as a Severe Muscle/Tendon Damage (Arm). If he was wearing No Armour rather than Leather
it also counts as a Major/Easy Bleeding.
Vs Mail/Scale: Your blow makes a splintery mess of your foes shoulder as it cuts down into
the joint between arm and body, smashing the part of the shoulderblade that attaches to the
shoulder girdle and stunning him until the end of his next turn. It counts as a Major Fracture
(Arm) and a Minor/Regular Bleeding.
Vs Plate: Your weapon sends an elbow guard flying in two pieces, leaving disconnected plates
flapping, reducing AP by 1 on that location and counting as Major Damage (Plate). The
expense of repair is far from your foes mind, however, as the blow also dislocated his elbow
and broke off bone fragments from every muscle attachment in the joint. He must pass a Hard
(-20%) WP test or be stunned for d10 turns from the quite excruciating pain. The injury counts
as a Major Fracture (Arm).
10. Vs None/Leather: Your blade cleanly severs your opponents hand, sending spurts of bright
arterial blood shooting through the air. This counts as Limb Loss (Hand) and Major/Easy
Bleeding.
Vs Mail/Scale: Your weapon smashes into your foes forearm, cutting through links and flesh,
severing muscle and tendons on the inside of the arm, leaving the hand unable to grip
properly. This counts as Major Muscle/Tendon Damage (Arm) and Minor/Regular Bleeding.
Vs Plate: You send your blade slamming into your opponents pauldron with great force but
only manage to hit at a sharp angle. The metal withstands the blow but as your weapon is

deflected it instead hits him in the head, the flat of the blade rebounding off his temple. He
must pass a Difficult (-10%) T test to avoid being knocked out with a Concussion (see the
Head Injuries chapter), being stunned for d10 turns if successful.
11. Vs None/Leather: The foe looks with horror at the stump of his arm, raggedly severed at the
elbow, blood pumping out in rhythmic spurts. If anything was held in that arm it goes flying
d10 yards in a random direction. The injury counts as Limb Loss (Arm) and a Major/Regular
Bleeding. Any armour suffers Major Damage (Leather) and cant be worn until repaired.
Vs Mail/Scale: A disgusting crackling noise is heard as your blade crunches deeply into your
opponents elbow, making a horrible mess of splintered bones and torn flesh mixed with
severed mail links, leaving the arm bent at an unnatural angle, the joint ruined beyond
recognition. The pain stuns him for d10 turns and the injury counts as a Severe Fracture
(Arm), in all likelihood requiring amputation unless magical healing is provided.
Vs Plate: Your weapon cuts through your foes armoured glove to leave his hand dangling by
thin threads of flesh and leather. The sight of his hand flapping around uselessly in this manner
so disconcerts him he must pass a WP test or be stunned until he can pass a new test (getting
one new attempt on each of his subsequent turns). The injury counts as Limb Loss (Hand)
with a Major/Easy Bleeding.
12. Vs None/Leather: Your weapon cleaves through flesh, a mighty blow that strips muscle and
gristle from your opponents arm from the shoulder halfway to the elbow, leaving gouged
bone visible for a fraction of a second before the gushing blood covers it. He is stunned for
d10 turns, both by pain and the sight of such a huge gaping wound in his flesh. The injury
counts as a Severe Muscle/Tendon Injury (Arm) and a Major/Hard Bleeding. Any armour is
now effectively AP 0 with Major Damage (Leather).
Vs Mail/Scale: The blow crunches into your foes shoulder, splitting links and biting deep. His
collarbone is split as the blade goes in, nicking the large artery to the arm. Blood gushes into
the air as you yank your weapon out, certain that your foe has but little time left in this world.
This impressive injury counts as a Broken Collarbone and a Major/Hard Bleeding.
Vs Plate: You hack away at your heavily armoured foes joints, finally finding a gap at his
elbow, the plates buckling inwards as you ram your weapon into him. Bone snaps and the
riven plates further aggravate the injury, splintering the bone further. Blood leaks in large
amounts from the armoured joint, leaving little doubt in your mind that you have caused your
hated opponent grievous harm. The injury counts as a Severe Fracture (Arm) with a Major/
Regular Bleeding.
13. Vs None/Leather: You hack your opponents arm off at the shoulder, drenching your
immediate surroundings in a spray of blood. Gleefully, you watch your foe suffer a Severe/
Regular Bleeding apart from the obvious Limb Loss (Arm). Any armour suffers Major
Damage (Leather) and cant be worn until repaired.
Vs Mail/Scale: Only few links of armour connects your foes arm to his body after a truly
magnificent display of the inferiority of mail links to a strongly wielded and heavy blade. Your
opponent considers buying better protection in his next life as he watches his lifeblood gush
out onto the ground. Apart from Limb Loss (Arm) and a Severe/Regular Bleeding, the armour
on that location is also useless until repaired, counting as Major Damage (Mail).
Vs Plate: With a wicked blow from below, you bypass most of your foes protection and slam
your weapon up into his armpit, nearly severing the arm and almost lifting him from the

ground with the fury of your swing. Still, his armour saves him from an outright amputation
but the blood pouring forth might make that matter a moot point. The injury counts as a
Severe Muscle/Tendon Injury with Major/Hard Bleeding. He is also stunned for d10 turns.
14. Vs None/Leather: Your weapon passes straight through your opponents arm and continues
into his body, cleaving through one lung and several large bloodvessels, ending his life before
he can do more than stare in amazement at you. Any armour suffers Major Damage (Leather)
and cant be worn until repaired.
Vs Mail/Scale: Your hard swung blow makes a mockery of the flexibility of armour such as
mail, driving splinters of your foes ruined shoulder deep into his body, piercing heart and
lungs, killing him instantly. Should you wish to claim his armour it now has Minor Damage
with one point less of AP.
Vs Plate: Your blade drives down in the junction between shoulder and neck, sending a huge
spray of blood into the air as you sever the artery just branching from the aorta to the arm.
Your opponent crumples to the ground as he slides off your blade, dead as a doorknob.
15. Vs None/Leather: In a truly ridiculous display of the skill of hacking and hewing (either that
or sheer berserk fury) you first sever your poor opponents forearm with a mighty swing; on
the backstroke you take the remainder of the arm off at the shoulder; for a finish you then take
off his other arm and proceed to send his head flying off his now armless shoulders. A hush
settles over the battlefield as all present marvel at your bloodthirstiness. Either that or
whatever the GM says happens!
Vs Mail/Scale: Your weapon begins its journey somewhere in the vicinity of your foes
shoulder, then proceeds to travel a gory path through multiple ribs and several major organs
before exiting somewhere near his opposite hip. Whatever armour he was wearing on chest
and arm now has Major Damage with one point less of AP, which is nothing compared to the
state his poor body is in. Utterly overkilled would be an accurate description.
Vs Plate: Splitting plate in half is usually a feat attributed to Giants, berserk Minotaurs or
similar monsters, but you make a good substitute, cleaving through metal as you drive your
weapon through his arm and onward through whatever armour he is wearing on his body to
leave him sliding to the ground in what comes pretty close to two separate bodyhalves.
Armour on that arm as well as body is effectively ruined forever.

CRITICAL HITS - HACKING & CHOPPING DAMAGE

Body:
16. Vs None/Leather: You slash your opponent across the chest, rending his clothing, causing him
to flinch, suffering a penalty of -10% to his battle skills until the end of his next turn. If he was
wearing None rather than Leather he may also not perform any attack action on his next turn
as you inflict a shallow but painful cut across his skin.
Vs Mail/Scale: Your blade thumps into your foes belly without penetrating his mail. He emits
a surprised Oof! along with the smell of garlic or cooked squig or whatever else he may
have eaten recently and suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle skills until the end of his next
turn.

Vs Plate: With a skirl of metal against metal your weapon rakes the front of your foes
breastplate, sending up enough sparks to make him suffer a penalty of -10% to his battle skills
until the end of his next turn.
17. Vs None/Leather: A cut along your opponents ribs leaves white bone gleaming between the
red lips of a painful wound. If he was wearing None rather than Leather he is stunned until the
end of his next turn, otherwise suffering a penalty of -20% to his battle skills for the same
amount of time.
Vs Mail/Scale: You unbalance your foe with a blow to the chest, then spin around to deliver a
magnificent blow across his shoulderblades. Though it fails to penetrate his mail it knocks him
to the ground flat on his face.
Vs Plate: You manage to get your blade underneath your opponents guard and slam it into his
side. The edge fails to find its way between the plates but nevertheless knocks his breath away,
causing a penalty of -20% to his battle skills until the end of his next turn.
18. Vs None/Leather: Your blade cuts into your opponents side just above his hip, winding him
badly. As he tries to guard his injured side your next blow knocks whatever he held in one
random hand d10 yards away in a random direction. Apart from losing his weapon or shield or
whatever it was he held he also suffers a penalty of -20% to his battle skills until the end of his
next turn.
Vs Mail/Scale: With a resounding noise of torn metal you rip your weapon through the front of
your foes armour, sending links or scales flying, reducing his AP on that location by one
point. Repair counts as Minor Damage (Mail/Scale) and he also suffers a penalty of -20% to
his battle skills until the end of his next turn.
Vs Plate: Your blow winds your opponent but only dents his breastplate, making him suffer a
penalty of -20% to his battle skills until the end of his turn. The dent is a remarkably ugly one
but doesnt reduce AP although counting as Minor Damage (Plate) for the purpose of repair.
19. Vs None/Leather: Your blade comes down across your foes left shoulderblade as he tries to
twist away from your blow. If he was wearing any armour at all rather than None the force of
the impact is somewhat reduced, making him suffer a penalty of -20% to his battle skills when
using that arm for the remainder of the battle due to deep bruising and a nasty cut; otherwise
the blade badly lacerates the muscle, counting as a Minor Muscle/Tendon Injury (Arm).
Vs Mail/Scale: Ribs break as your foes mail just manages to shed your blade before it
penetrates. This counts as a Minor Rib Fracture (see the Chest Injuries chapter).
Vs Plate: Your blow snaps straps and sends a pauldron flying, reducing AP on his body by one
point. The large piece of steel flapping from his shoulder by a remaining strap is so distracting
your foe suffers a penalty of -10% to his battle skills until he can take a half action to unfasten
it, allowing it to drop to the ground. Repair is as for Minor Damage (Plate).
20. Vs None/Leather: Your blade gashes your foes side deeply, penetrating the wall of muscle and
flesh to drive fragments of cloth or leather into his abdomen before you withdraw your
bloodslimy weapon. This stuns him until the end of his next turn and counts as a Minor
Abdominal Injury (see the Abdominal Injuries chapter).

Vs Mail/Scale: Your weapon smashes into your opponents chest, cracking his breastbone and
several ribs. This stuns him until the end of his next turn and counts as a Major Rib Fracture
(see the Chest Injuries chapter).
Vs Plate: A terrific blow sends your foe sprawling, knocked to the ground with badly bruised
ribs. Apart from being knocked down he is stunned until the end of his next turn and counts as
having a Minor Rib Fracture (see the Chest Injuries chapter).
21. Vs None/Leather: Your weapon comes down near the junction between body and neck,
missing your foes left jugular by mere inches. Nature saw fit to equip him with sturdy enough
ribs to save him from being split from neck to breastbone but his collarbone is cleft and the
top of his lung clipped, counting as both a Broken Collarbone and Collapsed Lung (Minor)
(see the Chest Injuries chapter).
Vs Mail/Scale: Mere metal is not enough to keep your blade from your hated foes flesh, your
weapon splitting rings to lodge
Vs Plate:
22. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
23. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
24. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
25. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
26. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
27. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
28. Vs None/Leather:

Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
29. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:
30. Vs None/Leather:
Vs Mail/Scale:
Vs Plate:

Critical Hits Arrow & Bolt Damage

ARM:
Your shot grazes your targets hand, forcing him to pass a
WP test or drop anything he is holding in that hand.
2. Your shot nicks the wrist of your target, causing a small
but vicious wound. Due to the pain, hell suffer a penalty
of 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
3. Your shot glances off your targets elbow, sending an
electric shock of pain down his arm, making him drop
anything he is holding in that hand. The arm is numb and
useless for d10/2 turns.
4. Your shot slices your targets biceps, exposing red,
glistening muscle tissue. He suffers a penalty of 20% to
his WS until the end of his next turn.
5. Your shot penetrates the large muscle connecting your
targets shoulder to the upper arm, the arrow/bolt
remaining in the wound with the point sticking out the
other side. He must pass a Hard (-20%) WP test to avoid
dropping whatever he is holding in the other hand to grasp
the injured shoulder. He also loses use of the arm until the
arrow/bolt is withdrawn, which requires a full action (half
an action to break off the head, another to pull the shaft
out) either by himself or someone else, plus a successful
Challenging (-10%) WP test if he does it himself, gritting
his teeth against the pain.
6. Your shot slices the back of your targets hand, severing
tendons and nicking the metacarpal bones between the
wrist and fingers. He can still flex his fingers, so he
doesnt drop his weapon, but the distracting sight of
twitching tendons and white bone causes a penalty of
20% to his WS until the end of his next turn. Unless
magically healed hell suffer a permanent 10% penalty to
any tests requiring fine manipulation made with that hand
due to decreased manual dexterity from not being able to
open his hand properly.
7. Your shot transfixes your targets hand, passing between
the metacarpal bones between wrist and fingers, and
nailing it to any shield he might be holding in that hand.
Until the arrow is removed, as per #5 above, the hand is
useless. He also counts as stunned until the end of his next
turn and, unless magically healed, will suffer a permanent
5% penalty to any tests requiring fine manipulation made
with that hand, due to nerve damage to his middle finger.
8. Your shot transfixes your targets wrist, resulting in
penalties as for #7 above, except that you must pass a WP
test to recover from the stunning and the penalty will be
20% due to the much greater damage to nerves and
tendons.
9. Your shot penetrates your targets forearm, the point
lodging in one of the long bones of the forearm. Your
target is stunned for d10/2 turns. The arm is useless until
the arrow/bolt is withdrawn, which is very difficult due to
the head being firmly embedded in the bone, requiring
three full actions either by you or someone else, plus a
successful Hard (-20%) WP test if you do it yourself.
10. Your shot lodges in your targets elbow, severing the head
of one of the long bones of the forearm and jamming the
joint at a 90-degree angle. Your target is stunned by
blinding pain for d10/2 turns and the arm is useless until
his W characteristic has been fully recovered. Also the
head of the arrow/bolt will have to be withdrawn. This
requires either a successful Heal test or, if lacking that
skill, a Hard (-20%) Ag test, by someone else. Failure
means the head was successfully withdrawn but additional
damage means healing is delayed, the target recovering
one less W the next time he should have regained one or
more W.
11. Your shot lacerates the targets biceps muscle, also
severing the large artery in the arm. Due to the spurting
arterial spray, he will suffer a cumulative penalty of 10%
to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, losing consciousness
when any of those characteristics reaches zero. When he
wakes up the arrow/bolt will have to be withdrawn as per
#5 above.
1.

12. Your shot pierces the meaty part of your targets shoulder
near the neck, damaging the brachial plexus, the large
bundle of nerves supplying the arm. He must pass a Hard
(-20%) WP test to avoid dropping whatever he is holding
in the other hand to grasp the injured shoulder. Unless
magically healed within one day, which will count as a
Hard (-20%) spell test, the paralysis will be permanent,
rendering the arm limp and useless. Also, the arrow/bolt
will have to be removed as per #10 above.
13. Your shot shatters your targets shoulder-blade and severs
the large artery branching off from the aorta to the arm and
neck, causing massive internal bleeding. An immediate
Hard (-20%) T test is required to avoid falling
unconscious. He also suffers a cumulative 10% risk of
dying from loss of blood each turn, unless magically
healed. If he survives, the arrow/bolt will have to be
removed as per #10 above.
14. Your shot enters your targets shoulder at an angle and
exits through his neck in a spray of blood. Your target
sways uncertainly for a moment before his legs buckle and
he collapses to the ground, unconscious. Death is
inevitable within d10/2 rounds.
15. Your shot enters through your targets armpit, embedding
itself to the fletching. Your target crumples to the ground,
gasping and gurgling for one turn while a soft, sucking
noise emanates from the wound, before everything is still.
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

BODY:
Your shot grazes your targets side, causing him to flinch
and suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
Your shot slices along one rib, slicing the skin to the bone,
causing a penalty of 20% to your targets WS until the
end of his next turn.
Your shot pierces your targets flank just beneath the skin,
the arrow/bolt sticking there and causing a penalty of
20% to his WS until the end of his next turn, the penalty
then reduced to 10% until the projectile is removed,
requiring a full action (one half-action to break off the
shaft, another half-action to withdraw the stump).
Your shot clips your targets shoulder, knocking him to the
ground.
Your shot lodges under a rib, causing your target intense
pain every time he moves, making him suffer a 10%
penalty to his WS until the arrow/bolt is removed. This
takes two full actions and requires a successful Heal test or
a Hard (-20%) Ag test. Failure means the shaft broke but
the head of the arrow remains lodged in your targets
ribcage, now instead requiring a successful Hard (-20%)
Heal test and six full actions to remove.
Your shot pierces your targets side, penetrating the wall of
muscle and entering his abdominal cavity but missing any
internal organs. Your target suffers a 20% penalty to his
WS until the arrow/bolt is removed, requiring two full
actions and a successful Heal test or a Challenging (-10%)
Ag test. Failure means that the projectile was successfully
withdrawn but additional damage was caused, delaying
healing, resulting in the target regaining one less W the
next time he should have regained one or more W. In
addition to delayed healing, the target must pass a Hard
(-20%) T test or suffer an infection within one day, making
him delirious and helpless for d10 days. A successful
Shallyan Cure Disease spell will cure the infection.
Your shot sinks into your targets shoulder (roll d10: 1-5
right, 6-10 left) near the neck, barely missing the top of
the lung. Due to the discomfort of having an arrow/bolt
sticking out of his body, your target suffers a penalty of
20% to his WS when using that arm, until the projectile is
removed. Unfortunately, the point is lodged deep
underneath the collarbone, requiring six full turns and
either a successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent or a
Very Hard (-30%) Ag test to avoid puncturing the lung. If
this happens, the target suffers a cumulative 5% to WS,
BS, Ag and S each turn, falling unconscious when any of

Critical Hits Arrow & Bolt Damage

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.

those characteristics reach zero and expiring within

another 2d10 turns unless magical healing is provided.
Your shot sinks into the targets belly, felling him to the
ground. The projectile has lacerated the intestines, spilling
faecal matter into the abdominal cavity. Your target is
stunned, requiring a Hard (-20%) WP test to recover from
the stunning. Until the arrow/bolt is removed, hell suffer a
penalty of 20% to all tests. Removing the arrow requires
three full actions and either a successful Heal test or a
Challenging (-10%) Ag test. In addition, he must make a
Very Hard (-30%) T test or die from infection in d10 days
(becoming delirious and helpless within one day) unless
successful magical healing seals up the lacerations within
half that time. Alternatively, a Very Hard (-30%) Heal test
with the Surgery Talent can be attempted, reducing the
difficulty level to merely Hard (-20%) if a successful
Shallyan Cure Disease spell is first performed.
Your shot sinks deep into your targets stomach just
beneath the ribs on his left side and damages the spleen,
causing internal bleeding. He is stunned until the end of
his next turn and will then suffer a cumulative penalty of
5% to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, falling unconscious
when any of those characteristics reaches zero. In addition,
penalties until the projectile is removed and subsequent
risk of infection is as for #6 above. Fortunately, the
bleeding will be brought to a halt by the tough
membranous covering of the spleen, containing the
damage before your target dies from loss of blood.
Your shot splits your targets breastbone but loses
momentum before piercing his heart. The intense pain
makes your opponent helpless until he can pass a Hard
(-20%) T test, reducing it to stunning, requiring another
test to recover from that. He can start rolling for those tests
at the end of his next turn.
Your shot penetrates between your targets lower ribs,
damaging a kidney. The massive bleeding causes a
cumulative penalty of 10% to WS, BS, Ag and S each
turn, your target falling unconscious when any of those
characteristics reaches zero. Unless magically healed, he
will die from loss of blood in another d10 turns. If he
survives the arrow/bolt will need to be removed as for #6
above.
Your shot penetrates your targets chest, collapsing one
lung. He must pass an immediate Hard (-20%) T test to
stay conscious, otherwise suffering a penalty of 30% to
all tests, and will also suffer a 20% risk of dying each turn,
until magical healing is provided. If he survives, the
penalty will be reduced by 10% each week as the lung
gradually expands again.
Your shot tears through your targets chest, damaging the
aorta where it connects to the heart. The massive loss of
blood causes a cumulative penalty of 20% to WS, BS, Ag
and S each turn, your target falling unconscious when any
of those characteristics reaches zero, then also suffering a
cumulative 20% chance of dying each turn as his heart
futilely empties his system of blood. Only a Very Hard
magical healing spell test can save his life.
Your shot tears out through your targets back, lacerating
his liver, severing his abdominal aorta, damaging the
spinal cord and felling him helpless to the ground,
coughing up blood and bilious fluid. Death is inevitable in
d10/2 turns.
Your shot transfixes your targets heart, killing him
instantly.
HEAD:
Your shot nicks your targets ear, causing a 10% penalty
to his WS until the end of his next turn.
Your shot grazes your targets cheek, slicing open a wound
that bleeds far more freely than expected. Hell lose one
attack or free parry on his next turn as he clasps one hand
to his face.

3.

Your shot grazes your targets neck, causing him to flinch

and suffer a penalty of 20% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
4. Your shot slashes across your targets ear, almost entirely
severing the top third. He counts as stunned until the end
of his next turn. In addition the flopping of the detached
portion will be very distracting, causing a penalty of 10%
to his WS for d10/2 turns. After the battle and any usual
Heal tests, an additional Hard (-20%) Heal test can be
attempted for the purpose of successfully stitching the two
parts of the ear back together. This second test does not
restore your W characteristic any further.
5. Your shot grazes your targets scalp, causing blood to flow
into his eyes, as per Cutting Damage to Head #4.
6. Your shot tears a furrow along your targets jaw, exposing
white bone and teeth. He is stunned until he can pass
either a WP or T test, starting to roll on the turn after his
next. The scarring will be unattractive but will not reduce
his Fel by any significant margin.
7. Your shot enters through your targets cheek, knocks out a
couple of teeth, lacerates the tongue and exits through the
opposite cheek. Your target will suffer a penalty of 20%
to his WS until the arrow is removed, requiring a full
action. If attempting it himself, your target must first pass
a WP test. Failure simply means the arrow remains. After
the arrow is removed, the target will spit blood and teeth
but suffer only 10% to his WS for the duration of the
battle due to pain and the blood trickling down his throat.
The tongue and the holes in his cheeks will heal naturally
although hell suffer a penalty of 20% to any Fel tests
requiring speech until his W characteristic is fully
restored.
8. Your shot enters through your targets neck, burying itself
to the fletching. Surprisingly, there is very little blood, the
arrow/bolt apparently having missed the major arteries or
veins. Until the arrow/bolt is removed all the targets tests
count as Hard (-20%). Removal requires either a
successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent or a Very
Hard (-30%) Ag test. Failure means a major artery was
nicked during the removal process and either magical
healing or another Hard (-20%) Heal test will be required
to save him from bleeding to death within d10 turns.
9. Your shot enters your opponents cheek near the nose and
drives on into the nasal cavity, crumpling the thin walls to
the nearby sinus. Your target will be at 20% to all tests
for the remainder of the battle due to blood and bone
fragments filling his mouth and nose. He is also stunned
for d10 turns and must pass a WP test or gain one IP extra
due to the horrifying experience of seeing an arrow
sticking from his face. Removing the arrow is pretty
straightforward, requiring no special tests.
10. Your shot enters through your targets cheek, shattering a
couple of upper molars and lodging in the mandibular
joint between the upper and lower jaw. Your target can no
longer either open or close his mouth properly and will
suffer a penalty of 30% to all tests until the arrow/bolt is
removed, due to extreme pain and the blood filling his
mouth. Removal will require a Challenging (-10%) Heal
test or a Very Hard (-30%) Ag test, taking three full
actions. Failure means the arrow remains and a new test
cannot be performed until the next day.
11. Your shot punctures one of your targets eyeballs, lodging
in the bony orbit and causing a clear gelatinous substance
to run down his face. The target is stunned until the end of
the battle. No amount of mundane or magical healing can
restore the eye and he suffers reduction of any BS or sightbased Perception test by half, including any bonus from
Talents such as Excellent Vision or Sharpshooter.
12. Your shot pierces your targets forehead, penetrating the
skull by about an inch or two and damaging one frontal
lobe of the brain. The target is stunned for d10 turns. He
must then pass a Hard (-20%) T test or fall unconscious. If
he passes he will suffer a penalty of 30% to all tests until
the end of the battle and must then pass an additional Hard

Critical Hits Arrow & Bolt Damage

(-20%) T test or suffer a lethal infection, making him
delirious and helpless within one day, killing him within
d10/2 days. A Shallyan Cure Disease spell will cure the
infection. Survival will reduce his Fel by 20% due to
personality changes and he will also gain a random
Insanity.
13. Your shot enters through one eye, penetrating into the
brain and knocking your target unconscious. Death ensues
within d10/2 turns unless magical healing is provided,
counting as a Very Hard (-30%) spell test. Survival will
mean the head of the arrow/bolt remains inside his skull
and he will suffer a penalty of 20% to WS, BS, Ag, Int
and Fel for the rest of his life due to brain damage.
14. Your shot slams into your target, coming out through the
back of his neck. There is a 25% chance the shot went in
through the mouth, turning him into a gruesome sight
indeed and severing the spinal cord on the way out,
otherwise going in through the throat and severing a
carotid artery in a gush of blood. Either way, the target
falls to the ground and gurgles for d10/2 turns before
dying inevitably.
15. Your shot spits your targets head like an apple, killing
him instantly, although his body will continue to twitch a
bit for d10/2 turns.

10.

11.

12.

13.
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

LEG:
Your shot grazes your targets foot, causing a small but
painful wound. He suffers a penalty of 10% to WS until
the end of his next turn.
Your shot grazes your targets ankle, causing him to
stumble, losing one attack or free parry on his next turn as
he flails his arms.
Your shot glances off your targets shin. For the next d10/2
turns his M is halved, all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard
(-20%) and he may take no attack actions as he limps and
gasps from the pain.
Your shot slams into your targets kneecap, penetrating
about half an inch before tearing out again as the shaft
whips around, sending the arrow/bolt spinning crazily
through the air. The target is stunned until the end of his
next turn and must pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or
drop his weapon.
Your shot slices a furrow along your targets hip.
Distracted by the pain and forced to guard his injured side,
your target suffers a penalty of 10% to all tests for d10
turns.
Your shot slices across the back of your targets foot,
severing tendons to the toes. The target is stunned until the
end of his next turn, then suffers a 2 penalty to his M as
well as counting all Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%)
until the end of the battle, as his toes wont obey him
properly, making footing awkward. Unless magical or
surgical healing is provided within d10/2 days, M will be
permanently reduced by 1.
Your shot transfixes the targets foot, pinning it to the
ground. Until the arrow/bolt is removed, M is reduced to
zero, all WS tests count as Challenging (10%) and all
Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%). Removal
requires two full turns and use of both hands.
Your shot transfixes your targets calf, fracturing the outer
of the two bones of the lower leg. Until the end of the
battle all tests are counted as Hard (-20%) due to the
blinding pain. In addition, until the targets W
characteristic is fully restored, M is reduced by 2 and all
Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%). Removing the
arrow is pretty straightforward, requiring no special tests.
Your shot slams through your targets knee, the point
tearing out the back of the joint. Until the projectile has
been removed from the jammed knee, M is reduced to 1
and all Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%).
Removing the arrow/bolt takes three full actions.
Fragments of bone left inside the joint causes the knee to
stiffen up and lock itself at inopportune moments, causing

14.

15.

a permanent 1 penalty to M and making all Dodge Blow

tests count as Challenging (-10%).
Your shot shatters your targets shinbone, knocking him to
the ground writhing in pain. He counts as helpless for
d10/2 turns and is unable to support himself on that leg
until the fracture has healed in six weeks. Hopping on one
leg counts as having a Move of 1 and all WS and Dodge
Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%). One crutch reduces
the difficulty of the tests to Hard (-20%) but requires the
use of one hand. Two crutches enables you to limp along
at a Move of 2 but requires both hands and Dodge Blow
tests still count as Hard (-20%).
Your shot shatters your targets kneecap, knocking him to
the ground. He is helpless with pain for d10 turns. He
remains unable to support himself on that leg until his W
characteristic is restored fully. M is permanently reduced
by 2 and all Dodge Blow tests will count as Challenging
(-10%) from now on.
Your shot sinks deep into the targets thigh, cracking the
thighbone. Your target falls to the ground, clasping his leg
in agony, counting as helpless for d10 turns, then suffers a
penalty of 20% to all tests for the duration of the battle
due to the agonizing pain. Subsequent penalties and
healing are as per #10 above.
Your shot sinks into the targets thigh, severing the large
femoral artery. Your target will suffer a cumulative penalty
of 10% to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, falling
unconscious when any of those characteristics reaches
zero. Hell then die from loss of blood in another d10/2
turns unless magical healing is provided.
Your shot slams into your targets hip, shattering bone and
lacerating nerves and major blood vessels inside the
pelvis. Your target falls to the ground, helpless with shock,
and expires inevitably in d10/2 turns.
Your shot shatters the femur and lays open the femoral
artery, causing your target to fall unconscious to the
ground and die inevitably in d10/2 turns in a bright
pumping spray of arterial blood.

Critical Hits - Blunt Damage

ARM:
Your weapon smashes into your opponent's fingers,
numbing them. He suffers a penalty of -10% to his WS
until the end of his next turn.
2. Your weapon smashes into your opponent's hand, forcing
him to make a Challenging (-10%) WP test to avoid
dropping what he is holding in that hand.
3. Your weapon smashes into your opponent's elbow, sending
a shock of pain down his arm, forcing him to make a Hard
(-20%) T test to avoid dropping what he is holding in that
hand. In addition the arm will count as useless for two
turns.
4. Your weapon smashes into your opponent's biceps muscle,
bruising it to the bone, forcing him to make a Very Hard
(-30%) T test to avoid dropping what he is holding in that
hand. In addition, his SB for that arm is halved (rounding
down) for d10 turns.
5. Your weapon smashes into your opponent's shoulder,
bruising it badly. Anything held in that hand is dropped
and your opponent is at half SB and a penalty of -20% to
his WS for any attacks or parries made by that arm for the
duration of the battle.
6. Your blow smashes your opponent's hand, fracturing some
of the bones between wrist and fingers. The hand is
useless until the bones have healed in d10/2 weeks and he
will then suffer a penalty of -10% to WS tests or tests
requiring fine manipulation performed with that hand
afterward due to improperly set bones unless a successful
Heal test has been made to reset them the first week.
Magical healing will automatically do this, as well as
speeding up the healing process, ignoring the longer time
required.
7. Your weapon fractures your opponent's wrist, making the
hand hang loosely at an odd angle. He will have to make a
Hard (-20%) WP test or be stunned by the pain for d10/2
turns. Healing is as per #6 above, although also requiring a
good splint or cast.
8. Your weapon smashes into your opponent's forearm,
fracturing the bones with a satisfying snap. He is stunned
for d10 turns by the intense pain. The arm is useless until
healed as per #7 above, except that the Heal test is Hard
(-20%).
9. Your blow smashes into your opponent's shoulder,
fracturing the collarbone and dislocating the arm from its
socket. Your opponent is stunned for d10 turns and must
make a successful T test to remain standing, suffering a
penalty of -20% to all tests due to the excruciating pain for
the remainder of the battle. The arm is useless until
popped back into place by a successful Heal test but your
opponent will still suffer a penalty of -20% to any WS and
S tests made using that arm until it has healed in d10/2
weeks.
10. Your weapon crushes your opponent's elbow, smashing the
joint and leaving the lower arm hanging from it with a
disturbing amount of mobility. Your opponent is helpless
with pain for d10 rounds. The arm will be useless until the
bones have knitted in d10 weeks. Only magical healing
will restore the full function of the arm, which will
otherwise suffer a penalty of -10% to all WS, S and Ag
tests in which it is used due to stiffness and damaged
nerves, assuming it is cared for with a successful Hard
(-20%) Heal test. If the damage is left untended by
mundane or magical healing the badly healed joint raises
the penalty to -20%.
11. The bone of your opponent's upper arm breaks into several
pieces with a loud crack that echoes across the battlefield.
He is helpless with pain for d10 turns. Nerves and an
artery are damaged by the sharp fragments, requiring
magical healing to restore function or else the arm will
have to be amputated or suffer gangrene within d10 days.
This will be fatal within another d10 days unless
successful magical healing is provided, still leaving the
arm almost totally paralysed and useless.
1.

12. Your blow smashes into your opponent's shoulder, tearing

and crushing the nerves that supply the arm. No amount of
magical or mundane healing can restore function, leaving
the arm hanging useless and paralysed from the shoulder
by atrophying muscles and shredded tendons. Your
opponent must make a Hard (-20%) T test or fall
unconscious from the shock, being stunned for d10 turns
and then suffering a penalty of -20% to all tests for the
duration of the battle even if he makes the test.
13. Your weapon practically tears your opponent's arm from
its socket, leaving it dangling by torn muscle and tendons,
bleeding heavily. Your opponent falls unconscious from
shock and dies within 2d10 turns from loss of blood and
massive traumatic shock unless magical healing is applied
to at least partly mend the torn tissues, still leaving the arm
useless and paralysed.
14. Your weapon shatters your opponent's shoulder from the
side, driving shards of bone into the ribcage, piercing the
lung and nicking the heart. Your opponent coughs up
bright arterial blood before he slumps to the ground and
dies inevitably in d10/2 turns.
15. Your weapon completely demolishes your opponent's
shoulder before driving on and shattering the ribcage. Your
opponent is hurled sideways and crumples to the ground,
twitches once and never moves again.
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.
6.

7.

8.

BODY:
Your weapon punches your opponent in the belly,
momentarily winding him. He loses a half-action while
recovering.
Your weapon contuses one of your opponents ribs. He
suffers 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
You connect solidly and squarely with your opponents
solar plexus, driving his breath from his body. He cannot
attack next turn and suffers a penalty of 20% to any parry
until the end of that turn.
Your blow glances against your opponents groin, forcing
him to make an immediate Very Hard (-30%) T test to
avoid spending until the end of his next turn helpless,
puking his guts out. If female or otherwise non-equipped
in the scrotal department the test is only Challenging
(-10%) and failure causes only stunning.
Your blow contuses several of the ribs underneath your
opponents arm. His WS is reduced by 20% for the next
d10/2 turns.
Your weapon crashes into your opponents side, damaging
his spleen, causing slow internal bleeding as that organs
tough membranous covering tries to contain the steady
leakage of blood. Your opponent suffers no ill effects
during the remainder of this battle apart from being
stunned until the end of his next turn, but he will have to
make a Hard (-20%) T test after the battle or suffer a
cumulative 5% to his WS, BS, Ag and S each hour. If he
receives magical healing before any of those
characteristics reaches zero his life will be saved,
otherwise he will fall unconscious and die within the next
2d10 hours. A surgical operation to remove the damaged
spleen is also possible, although it will require a successful
Heal test with the Surgery Talent. Failure will result in the
death of the patient. If successful, hell still have to pass a
Hard (-20%) T test or contract a lethal infection, dying
within d10/2 days unless a successful Shallyan Cure
Disease spell is preformed. Without a spleen, his immune
system will have been weakened, making him suffer a
penalty of 10% to resist infections in the future.
Your blow breaks several ribs, stunning your opponent
until the end of his next turn. He will also suffer a penalty
of 20% to all actions as he gasps for breath and guards
his ribs, until his W characteristic has been healed up to
Lightly Wounded.
Your blow connects solidly with your opponents hip,
fracturing one wing of the pelvis-bone. He falls
immediately to the ground and counts as helpless from the
pain until he can pass a Hard (-20%) T test, getting one

Critical Hits - Blunt Damage

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.
3.

4.

roll each turn. He will then suffer a penalty of 10% on his

WS for the remainder of the battle and his M will be
reduced by 2 and all Dodge Blow tests will count as Hard
(-20%) until his W characteristic has been fully restored.
Your weapon crashes into your opponents sternum,
temporarily causing paralysis of his breathing musculature
and cardiac arrhythmia as his hearts starts beating
irregularly. He is helpless until the end of his next turn and
will then have to pass a T test or his heart will simply stop,
killing him. If he passes the T test he will simply be
stunned for d10/2 turns before recovering his breath and
normal heartbeat.
Your blow shatters ribs, pushing splinters into internal
organs, causing internal bleeding and a 50% chance of a
collapsed lung. If that happens your opponent will suffer a
penalty of 20% to all tests before collapsing unconscious
after d10/2 turns and dying after an additional d10/2 turns.
Only magical healing can save his life. If his lungs survive
intact hell still suffer a penalty of 20% to all tests until
his ribcage has healed in four weeks.
Your blow shatters your opponents shoulder-blade,
causing a penalty of 20% to all tests until his W
characteristic has been fully restored. In addition there is a
50% chance of the blow also having glanced into his
spine, causing spinal injury and resulting in total paralysis
from the waist down. If your opponent passes a
Challenging (-10%) T test the paralysis was caused only
by swelling from a cracked vertebra and he will recover
from his paralysis in d10/2 weeks.
Your opponent is hit squarely between his shoulder-blades
as he twists to avoid your blow, fracturing his spine. He
falls immediately to the ground, paralysed from the waist
down. He must make a Hard (-20%) WP test each turn to
stay conscious. After falling unconscious he must make a
Challenging (-10%) T test or die before regaining
consciousness. If he survives he will remain paralysed, as
not even magical healing can restore him, and will gain
one extra IP and be plagued by constant nightmares,
reliving the moment of his trauma.
Your blow hits your opponents breastbone with a mighty
crack, fracturing and compressing it against the heart.
Unbeknownst to your opponent, the shearing force has
partly torn the aorta away from the heart, causing the
pericardial sack surrounding the heart to fill up with blood,
preventing it from beating properly. He will suffer a
cumulative penalty of 15% to his WS, BS, Ag and S each
turn as his heart can no longer beat within the rapidly
filling pericardium. When any of those characteristics
reaches zero he will collapse dead. No mundane or
magical healing can save him.
Your blow drives pieces of your opponents breastbone
and ribs into his lungs and heart, causing frothy blood to
erupt from his mouth as he staggers backward and
collapses. Death is inevitable within one turn.
Your blow smashes your weapon straight through the front
of your opponents ribcage, caving it in and killing him
instantly. On your next turn you must take a half-action
and pass either an S or Ag test to withdraw your weapon
from your fallen foes chest cavity.
HEAD:
Your weapon glances off the side of your opponents head,
making a ringing noise and reducing his next attack or
parry by a penalty of 10%.
Your blow glances off your opponents cheekbone, making
him lose one attack or free parry on his next turn and
giving him a black eye.
Your weapon glances off the bridge of your opponents
nose, making him see bright flashes and his eyes water. All
his WS tests during the next d10/2 turns will count as
Challenging (-10%).
Your weapon smashes into the meat of your opponents
neck, straining the large neck muscles. All his WS tests
during the next d10/2 turns will count as Hard (-20%).

5.

Your weapon lands a solid blow on the side of your

opponents head, bursting his eardrum, making a small
rivulet of blood run down his neck. He will be stunned
until the end of his next turn and will suffer a penalty of
20% to all hearing-based Perception tests until the
eardrum has resealed itself in d10/2 weeks.
6. Your blow connects to your opponents head with a
sickening thud. Concussed, he falls to the ground,
counting as helpless until he can make a Hard (-20%) T
test to regain full consciousness, starting to roll during his
next turn, re-rolling each turn until he succeeds. For the
rest of this battle he will suffer a 10% penalty to his WS,
BS and Ag due to dizziness and nausea. He must also
make a Challenging (-10%) test or suffer short-term
amnesia, not remembering a thing about the battle or how
he ended up in it.
7. Your weapon fractures your opponents nose, stunning him
until the end of his next turn as he sees bright flashes and
spits blood. On his next turn after that he must pass a
Challenging (-10%) T test to recover, re-rolling each turn
until he succeeds. There is a 50% chance that the nose will
be so smashed it reduces his Fel by d10% unless
magically healed or set with a successful Heal test by
someone with the Surgery Talent.
8. Your blow crashes into your opponents skull, stunning
him until the end of his next turn. On his next turn after
that he must pass a Hard (-20%) T test to recover, rerolling each turn until he succeeds. The blow has fractured
his skull, causing a splinter of bone to press into his brain
and starting a slow bleeding between the brain and the
skull that will keep expanding, eventually killing him
unless pressure is relieved. Hell suffer a cumulative
penalty of 5% to his WS, BS, Ag, Int and Fel every two
hours, falling into a coma when any of those
characteristics reaches zero, dying within another d10/2
days. The only effective cure is a procedure called
trepanation, which involves removing a piece of the skull
by drilling or boring into it, thus relieving the pressure and
allowing access to remove the splinter. This requires at
least one hour and a Challenging (-10%) Heal test with the
Surgery Talent. If successful, a metal plate of some kind,
usually a silver coin that has been hammered flat and
polished, is used to cover the hole, nailed directly to the
surrounding bone and then covered with a flap of the
scalp. If already in a coma, your opponent will then wake
up in another d10/2 days, otherwise regaining his lost
characteristics at a rate of 5% per day. Failure will still
relieve the pressure but causes brain damage, reducing
WS, BS, Ag, Int and Fel by 10% permanently.
Regardless of outcome, your opponent will have to pass a
Challenging (-10%) T test immediately after the surgery or
contract a serious infection, killing him within d10 days
unless a successful Shallyan Cure Disease spell is
performed.
9. Your weapon breaks your opponents jaw. He counts as
stunned until the end of his next turn and then suffers a
penalty of 20% to his WS and BS for the remainder of
the battle due to the pain. The jaw will have to be wired or
otherwise tightly shut until knitted together in d10/2
weeks, forcing your opponent to eat through a straw until
then. There is also 50% risk that hell have lost several
teeth, in which case his Fel will be reduced by -5% unless
he already had missing or unsightly teeth (GMs call).
10. Your weapon crashes into your opponents larynx at the
top of the windpipe, causing a spasmed airway. He gasps
for breath, suffering a cumulative penalty of 10% to his
WS, BS, Ag and S each turn until he makes a Challenging
(-10%) T test to immediately regain the lost characteristics
points, rolling at the start of each turn. If any of the
characteristics reaches zero he falls unconscious from lack
of air. If not making his roll within another TB turns he
dies from lack of air.
11. Your weapon crushed the bony orbit surrounding your
opponents eyeball, causing a blow-out fracture, pushing

Critical Hits - Blunt Damage

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.

2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

bone splinters into the sinus and trapping some of the

muscles controlling eye movement. He counts as stunned
until the end of his next turn. On his next turn after that he
must pass a Challenging (-10%) T test to recover, rerolling each turn until he succeeds. Unless magical healing
is received within d10 days the eye will be effectively lost
and he must reduce any BS or sight-based Perception test
by half, including any bonus from Talents such as
Excellent Vision or Sharpshooter.
Your blow tears loose your opponents jaw. He must make
an immediate Challenging (-10%) T test or fall
unconscious. If successful, he can only stumble around
and try to hold his dangling jaw in place, counting as
helpless for the duration of the battle. If he survives, either
a Challenging (-10%) Heal test with the Surgery Talent or
magical healing is needed reattach the jaw. It must be done
within d10/2 days, otherwise necessitating amputation of
the whole lower jaw. Apart from looking absolutely
hideous and being forced to feed only on liquids and
losing all speech, your opponent must also reduce his Fel
by 30%.
Your weapon smashes into the junction between head and
neck, breaking your opponents spine. He falls
unconscious and will die within d10/2 hours from loss of
air due to damage to the breathing centre in the upper part
of the spinal cord. Magical healing can save his life but
will be Hard (-20%) and will still leave him paralysed
from the neck down and gains him d10/2 IP due to the
horrible experience of being paralysed and helpless while
slowly suffocating to death.
Your weapon hits your opponent in the forehead and
shatters his skull like an eggshell. He immediately falls to
the ground and spends the remainder of his life (d10
rounds) twitching and jerking.
Your weapon smashes into your opponents head and
bursts it like a melon, spattering you with blood and grey
matter. His death is immediate.
LEG:
Your weapon glances off your opponent's knee, sending
him off balance. Hell suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS
until the end of his next turn. If he survives the battle his
knee will always ache 24 hours before a storm.
Your weapon glances off your opponent's hip, forcing him
to pass a Challenging (-10%) Ag test to avoid falling
unceremoniously on his rump.
Your weapon strikes the side of your opponent's knee,
twisting it inward. He'll suffer a penalty of -20% to his WS
until the end of his next turn as he tries to avoid putting
any weight on that leg.
Your weapon glances off your opponent's shin, forcing
him to pass a Hard (-20%) WP test or drop everything and
count as helpless until the end of his next turn as he jumps
around on one leg, grasping it with both hands. Passing the
test will result in him suffering a penalty of -20% to his
WS until the end of his next turn as he staggers and gasps
from the pain.
Your blow badly bruises your opponent's thigh, driving
him to his knees, counting as having fallen to the ground.
M is reduced by -1 and any Dodge Blow and WS tests will
count as Challenging (-10%) until the end of the battle.
Your blow crashes into your opponent's hip, chipping one
wing of the pelvis and felling him to the ground. Due to
the pain he'll suffer a penalty of -20% to his WS and
unable to rise for d10/2 turns.
Your weapon smashes your opponent's great toe,
squashing it almost flat. All WS and Dodge Blow tests
will count as Hard (-20%) until the end of the battle. His
M will be reduced by -1 and any Dodge Blow tests will
continue to be counted as Challenging (-10%) until the toe
has healed in two weeks.
Your blow crushes your opponent's foot, fracturing several
of the bones between ankle and toes. He falls to the
ground and will be unable to put any weight on that foot

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

and thus to rise for the duration of the battle. He'll be

effectively one-legged until the bones have healed in four
weeks. He must then make a Challenging (-10%) T test or
suffer a permanent -1 reduction to his M due to the bones
not setting properly. Magical healing performed before the
bones have healed will negate the need for this test.
Your blow shatters your opponent's ankle, felling him to
the ground and making the foot stand out from the lower
leg at a strange angle. Hell be screaming and helpless for
d10/2 turns unless he can pass a Hard (-20%) WP test, in
which case he'll only count as stunned rather than helpless.
Hell be unable to put any weight on the foot until it has
healed in four weeks. Unless the ankle is set correctly by a
successful Heal test, itll heal crooked, causing a penalty
of 1 to M and making all Dodge Blow tests count as
Challenging (-10%) ever after.
Your blow smashes your opponent's shin, shattering the
shinbone into several fragments and breaking the fibula,
the outer of the two long bones in the lower leg, as well,
fragments piercing through the skin. Your opponent falls
to the ground, helpless and blind with pain for d10 turns,
then suffering a penalty of 10% to all tests for the
remainder of the battle. He'll be unable to rise afterwards
and will have to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or suffer
infection in the open fracture within d10 days, causing
death in another d10 days unless amputation is performed.
A successful Shallyan Cure Disease spell will save his life
but the leg will remain useless unless magically healed,
which will require a Hard (-20%) spell test due to the mess
of bone shards, damaged nerves and blood vessels inside
the leg.
Your blow shatters your opponent's kneecap. He falls
helpless to the ground, clutching his injury as his throaty
screams echo across the battlefield for d10 turns and will
then be unable to rise and suffers a penalty of -20% to all
tests for the remainder of the battle. Unless magical
healing is provided he'll be at -2 to his M and counting all
Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%) for the rest of his life
due to a bad limp and stiffness of the joint.
Your blow connects solidly with the middle of your
opponent's leg. With an audible popping sound, the knee
bends the wrong way, large ligaments in the knee severed.
Your opponent falls to the ground, helpless from pain for
the rest of the battle, and must make a Hard (-20%) WP
test each turn or fall unconscious. Only magical healing,
which will count as Very Hard (-30%), will restore
function of the knee. Otherwise he'll be at half M for the
rest of his life due to a seriously unstable knee joint,
counting all his Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard (-30%).
Your weapon smashes into your opponent's thigh,
fracturing the thighbone and lacerating the femoral artery.
Your opponent falls unconscious in an undignified heap on
the ground as his leg visibly swells up and goes purple
before your eyes. Death will occur unless a tourniquet
(requiring two full turns and a successful Heal test) or
magical healing is provided within 2d10 turns and even
that will not save the leg which will have to be amputated
or the patient will die from massive gangrene in the
bloodless leg, regardless of any magical healing.
Your weapon smashes into your opponent's hip, breaking
the thighbone near the joint. The sharp end of the bone
lacerates the large artery and tears out from the skin as
your opponent falls, a white spear of bone sticking out
from his hip. He immediately falls unconscious and
expires inevitably in a spreading pool of blood within
d10/2 turns.
Your weapon smashes your opponent's pelvis, causing
major trauma to nerves and major arteries. He crumples to
the ground in a moaning heap and dies inevitably from
shock and bleeding within one turn.

Critical Hits Bullet Damage

ARM:
Your bullet grazes your targets hand, forcing him to pass
a WP test or drop anything he is holding in that hand.
2. Your bullet nicks the wrist of your target, causing a small
but vicious wound. Due to the pain, he suffers a penalty of
10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
3. Your bullet glances off your targets elbow, sending an
electric shock of pain down his arm, making him drop
anything he is holding in that hand. The arm is numb and
useless for d10/2 turns.
4. Your bullet takes a chunk of your targets biceps muscle
with it. He suffers a penalty of 20% to his WS until the
end of his next turn.
5. Your bullet pierces your targets deltoid muscle of the
shoulder, lodging just underneath the skin. Your target
drops anything held in that hand and suffers a penalty of
20% to his WS until the end of his next turn. Additionally,
until the bullet is removed you cant fully recover your full
W characteristic, effectively having one less W than
normal. Removal requires two full turns, a sharp knife and
a successful Easy (+20%) Heal test.
6. Your bullet makes a hole through your targets hand,
smashing some of the bones between the wrist and the
fingers and severing the tendons to one digit, either the
middle or ring finger as the GM deems fit. Anything held
in that hand is dropped and the hand is useless until the
end of the battle. Afterwards your target will suffer a
permanent penalty of 5% to any tests requiring fine
manipulation performed with that hand due to reduced
manual dexterity, probably simply binding the limp finger
to its neighbour to keep it from interfering with any tasks.
7. Your bullet removes one finger on your targets hand. Roll
1d10: 1-2 thumb, 3-4 index finger, 5-6 middle finger, 7-8
ring finger, 9-10 pinkie. Your target is stunned until the
end of his next turn. If the thumb is lost, grip will be very
poor, reducing WS, Ag and S by a penalty of 20% for any
tests or blows made with that hand. Loss of a pinkie is
mostly cosmetic in effect and the target can count himself
lucky. Loss of any other finger will result in penalties as
for #6 above.
8. Your bullet shatters your targets wrist, smashing the many
small wrist-bones and severely damaging nerves and
tendons. Anything held in that hand is dropped. Your
target counts as stunned and must pass a Hard (-20%) WP
test to avoid dropping anything held in the opposite hand
to grab his injury. At the end of his next turn he must pass
a WP test to recover from the stunning, rolling again next
turn if he fails. The hand is useless until the targets W
characteristic is fully restored. He must then pass a Hard
(-20%) T test. Failure means the hand remains next to
useless, stiff and with hardly any function left in the
fingers. If successful, hell suffer a permanent penalty of
20% to WS, Ag and S tests (as well as any tests requiring
fine manipulation) made with that hand due to stiffness
and reduced manual dexterity. Magical healing will heal
the injury completely if provided with d10/2 days.
9. Your bullet lodges in the targets elbow, jamming the joint.
Your target is stunned by blinding pain for d10/2 turns and
the arm is useless until the bullet is removed. This requires
a successful Heal test with the Surgery talent. If this is not
provided within d10 days the target must pass a
Challenging (-10%) T test or suffer an infection that will
render the joint, and the arm, permanently useless. In
addition, he must pass a second test or the infection will
spread, killing him within another d10 days unless
amputation is performed. A successful Shallyan Cure
Disease spell will heal the infection but not remove the
bullet or restore function in the arm.
10. Your bullet smashes your targets collarbone. He is
stunned for d10 turns and suffers a penalty of 30% to all
tests performed with that arm, including for calculating
SB, until his W characteristic is fully recovered.
11. Your bullet shatters the bone of your targets upper arm.
The target is stunned by blinding pain for d10 turns and
1.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.
9.

the arm is useless. Such an injury requires magical healing

within d10 days or it will develop gangrene and need
amputation.
Your bullet pierces the meaty part of the targets shoulder
near the neck, severing the brachial plexus, the bundle of
nerves supplying the arm, and stunning him for d10/2
turns. He must pass a Hard (-20%) WP test to avoid
dropping whatever he is holding in the other hand to grasp
the injured shoulder. Unless magically healed within one
day, which will count as a Hard (-20%) spell test, the
paralysis will be permanent, rendering the arm limp and
useless. Also, the lodged bullet will permanently reduce
his W by 1.
Your bullet shatters your targets shoulder-blade and
severs the large artery branching off from the aorta to the
arm. The victim of your lethal accuracy will suffer a 30%
risk of dying from loss of blood each turn, unless
magically healed which will require a Hard (-20%) spell
test. Until his W characteristic is fully restored, the pain of
his shattered shoulder-blade will make all tests connected
with any physical activity count as Very hard (-30%).
Also, the lodged bullet will permanently reduce his W by
1 if he survives.
Your bullet almost tears your targets arm off at the
shoulder, severing major blood vessels. He immediately
falls unconscious and will inevitably die in a spreading
pool of blood within d10/2 turns.
Your bullet enters through your targets armpit, tearing its
way through both lungs and damaging the heart. Your
target coughs up a spray of blood before collapsing and
dying within one turn.
BODY:
Your bullet grazes your targets side, causing him to flinch
and suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
Your bullet tears a furrow along one rib, causing a penalty
of 20% to your targets WS until the end of his next turn.
Your bullet pierces your targets flank at a sharp angle,
lodging underneath the skin. He suffers a penalty of 30%
to his WS until the end of his next turn. In addition, the
bullet also brought with it a small piece of wadding or the
targets clothing into the wound, causing an infection that
will delay his healing process, meaning hell recover one
less W the next time he should have restored some of his
W characteristic.
Your bullet clips your targets shoulder, spinning him
almost completely around and knocking him to the
ground, stunned until the end of his next turn. Apart from
that dramatic effect, the wound is comparatively minor.
Your bullet lodges under a rib, causing your target intense
pain every time he moves, making him suffer a 10%
penalty to his WS until the bullet is removed. This requires
a successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent. Failure will
result in infection as per #3 above.
Your bullet smashes into your targets back at a sharp
angle and clips a vertebra in the spine of the small of the
back, causing temporary paralysis from the shock of
impact. Your target falls to the ground, unable to use his
legs for d10 turns, before recovering completely.
Your bullet hits your targets shoulder-blade at a sharp
angle, shattering itself on impact. The fragments tear away
a massive amount of flesh from the surface of the
shoulder-blade, white bone showing clearly through the
ragged hole they leave as they exit. Your target is stunned
for d10 turns and suffers a penalty of 20% to all tests
from pain and ruined muscle tissue until the end of the
battle. The penalty is then reduced to 10% until his W
characteristic is fully restored.
Your bullet punches into your targets belly, penetrating
the abdominal cavity and damaging the intestines. Results
are as for Cutting Damage to Body #7.
Your bullet punches into your targets chest, knocking him
sprawling and fracturing a rib, the jagged ends puncturing

Critical Hits Bullet Damage

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

7.

one lung, causing it to collapse. He suffers a cumulative

penalty of 5% to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, falling
unconscious when any of those characteristics reaches
zero. He is then left lying on the ground, blood running
from his mouth and a bubbling noise emanating from the
hole in his chest. Hell die in 2d10 turns unless magical
healing is provided. If he survives hell suffer a penalty of
30% to all tests for one week, reducing the penalty by
10% for each subsequent week, before recovering when
the lung has inflated itself again.
Your bullet slams into your targets belly, knocking him
sprawling, stunned until the end of his next turn. The liver
has been penetrated and hell suffer a cumulative penalty
of 10% to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn due to internal
bleeding, falling unconscious when any of those
characteristics reaches zero. Hell die in another d10 turns
unless magical healing is provided.
Your bullet smashes a lower rib and ruins one kidney. Your
target is knocked sprawling, helpless until the end of his
next turn. Hell suffer a cumulative penalty of 15% to
WS, BS, Ag and S each turn due to massive internal
bleeding, falling unconscious when any of those
characteristics reaches zero. Hell die in d10 turns unless
magical healing is provided, and even that will count as a
Hard (-20%) spell test.
Your bullet smashes your targets breastbone, shattering it
and driving fragments deeper into the chest. Your target
will have to pass a Challenging (-10%) T test or die on the
spot, his heart pierced. If he survives hell count as
helpless for d10 turns, then suffer a penalty of 30% to all
tests until his W characteristic is fully restored, due to
problems breathing, practically every rib disconnected
from his shattered breastbone. After one day hell have to
pass a Hard (-20%) T test or contract pneumonia due to
not being able to cough up phlegm properly, dying within
d10/2 days unless a Shallyan Cure Disease spell saves
him.
Your bullet punches clear through your targets belly,
exiting from his back in a spray of blood and tissue. Hell
count as helpless from pain and shock until he expires in
great agony d10 hours later, unless both a successful
Shallyan Cure Disease spell and a successful magical Very
Hard (-30%) healing spell test saves him.
Your bullet smashes into your targets chest, tearing
through one lung and major blood vessels. A trickle of
blood runs from your targets mouth as he slumps to the
ground and expires inevitably d10/2 turns later.
Your bullet makes a perfect bulls eye hit on your targets
heart, sending him flying backwards in a most dramatic
manner, dead before he hits the ground.
HEAD:
Your bullet nicks your targets ear, causing a 10% penalty
to his WS until the end of his next turn.
Your bullet grazes your targets cheek, leaving an open
wound that bleeds far more freely than expected. Hell
lose one attack or free parry on his next turn as he clasps
one hand to his face.
Your bullet grazes your targets neck, causing him to
flinch and suffer a penalty of 20% to his WS until the end
of his next turn.
Your bullet tears away most of your targets outer ear. He
counts as stunned until the end of his next turn.
Your bullet grazes your targets scalp, causing blood to
flow into his eyes, as per Cutting Damage to Head #4.
Your bullet tears a furrow along your targets jaw,
exposing white bone and teeth. He is stunned until he can
pass a WP or T test, starting to roll on the turn after his
next. The scarring will be unattractive but will not reduce
his Fel by any significant margin.
Your bullet enters through your targets cheek, knocks out
a couple of teeth, lacerates the tongue and exits through
the opposite cheek. Your target is stunned until the end of
his next turn and will spit blood and teeth, suffering a

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.
3.

penalty of 10% to his WS for the duration of the battle

due to pain and the blood trickling down his throat. The
tongue and the holes in the cheeks will heal naturally
although hell be at 20% to any Fel tests requiring speech
until his W characteristic is fully restored.
Your bullet tears out a large part of your targets larynx,
the upper part of the windpipe, opening a gaping hole at
the front of his neck. He is stunned for d10 turns and will
be rendered permanently mute, his Fel reduced by a
penalty of 20% due to the unsightly neck-hole through
which he now does most of his breathing.
Your bullet smashes into your targets temple, fracturing
his skull. He must make an immediate Hard (-20%) T test
or be knocked unconscious, otherwise being stunned for
d10 turns and suffering a penalty of 10% to all tests for
the duration of the battle due to dizziness and nausea.
Your bullet goes in through your targets mouth, knocking
out a couple of front teeth and damaging the tongue before
exiting through the angle of the lower jaw, fracturing it
and causing his jaw to hang loosely on that side. Hell
stunned for d10/2 turns and suffers a penalty of 20% to
all tests for the duration of the battle due to pain and the
blood and gore filling his mouth. Hell be unable to speak
or eat solid food until his W characteristic is fully restored.
Afterward, due to a misaligned lower jaw and damage to
the tongue slurring his speech, hell suffer a permanent
penalty of 10% to his Fel.
Your bullet punctures one of your targets eyeballs,
lodging in the bony orbit and causing a clear gelatinous
substance to run down his face. The target is stunned until
the end of the battle. No amount of mundane or magical
healing can restore the eye and he suffers reduction of any
BS or sight-based Perception test by half, including any
bonus from Talents such as Excellent Vision or
Sharpshooter.
Your bullet fractures your targets skull, lodging between
the bone and brain, knocking him unconscious. Hell have
to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or die within d10/2 hours due
to intracerebral haemorrhaging, blood filling his skull and
compressing the brain. If successful hell wake up d10/2
days later with a new random Insanity due to brain
damage.
Your bullet enters through one eye, penetrating into the
brain and knocking your target unconscious. Death ensues
within d10/2 turns unless magical healing is provided,
counting as a Very Hard (-30%) spell test. Survival will
mean your target will suffer a reduction of 20% to WS,
BS, Ag, Int and Fel for the rest of his life due to brain
damage.
Your bullet exits through the back of your targets neck in
a spray of blood. There is 50% chance it entered through
the lower part of his face, making him a gruesome sight
indeed and severing the spinal cord on its way out,
otherwise having entered through his throat and torn out a
carotid artery in the process. Either way, your target drops
to the ground and gurgles for d10/2 turns before expiring
in a widening pool of blood.
Your bullet enters through your targets forehead, making
a coin-sized entry hole, emerging from the back of his
head in a massive spray of blood and brain tissue as it
makes a fist-sized exit hole. Your target could not possibly
be any deader.
LEG:
Your bullet grazes your targets foot, causing a small but
painful wound. He suffers a penalty of 10% to WS until
the end of his next turn.
Your bullet grazes your targets ankle, causing him to
stumble, losing one attack or free parry on his next turn as
he flails his arms.
Your shot glances off your targets shin. For the next d10/2
turns his M is halved and he may take no attack actions as
he limps and gasps from the pain.

Critical Hits Bullet Damage

4.

Your bullet clips your targets kneecap. The target is

stunned until the end of his next turn and must pass a
Challenging (-10%) WP test or drop his weapon to clasp
his knee.
5. Your bullet tears a shallow furrow along your targets hip.
Distracted by the pain and forced to guard his injured side,
your target suffers a penalty of 10% to all tests for d10
turns.
6. Your bullet smashes into your targets foot, fracturing
several bones and lodging inside. The target is stunned
until the end of his next turn. Until the fracture has healed
after four weeks, all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard
(-20%) and M is reduced by 2. This will only reduce the
penalties to a 1 to M until the bullet is removed, requiring
a successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent.
7. Your bullet smacks into your targets thigh, tearing
through muscle and lodging next to the thighbone. Your
target is stunned until the end of his next turn and must the
pass a Challenging WP (-10%) test to recover from the
stunning. His M is reduced by 2 and all Dodge Blow tests
count as Hard (-20%) until the muscles have healed when
your targets W characteristic is fully restored.
Unfortunately, the bullet will have carried a small piece of
wadding or a piece of the targets pants into the wound,
causing an infection that will slow the healing process,
meaning hell recover one less W the next time he should
have restored some of his W characteristic. The bullet will
then be encapsulated by fibrous tissue and not cause any
further problems.
8. Your bullet goes cleanly through your targets calf,
fracturing the outer of the two bones in the lower leg and
tearing out a sizeable chunk of flesh. Your target is
stunned until the end of his next turn. His M is reduced by
2 and all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%) until
the muscles and bone have healed when your targets W
characteristic is fully restored. In addition, the huge gaping
wound will cause a cumulative penalty of 5% to the
targets WS, BS, Ag and S each turn. Hell fall
unconscious when any of those characteristics reaches
zero, although the spurting blood vessels will then contract
and prevent him from bleeding out entirely.
9. Your bullet shatters your targets kneecap, dropping him to
the ground in a howling heap, helpless with pain for d10
turns. Unless magical healing is provided, M is
permanently halved and all Dodge Blow tests count as
Hard (-20%) from now on, due to extensive damage to the
joint.
10. Your bullet shatters your targets shinbone, knocking him
to the ground writhing in pain. He counts as helpless for
d10/2 turns and is unable to support himself on that leg
until the fracture has healed in six weeks. Hopping on one
leg counts as having a Move of 1 and all WS and Dodge
Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%). One crutch reduces
the difficulty of the tests to Hard (-20%) but requires the
use of one hand. Two crutches enables you to limp along
at a Move of 2 but requires both hands and Dodge Blow
tests still count as Hard (-20%).
11. Your bullet smashes into your targets hip, lodging in the
smashed joint. The hipbone is badly fractured and the
pelvis chipped, dropping the target to the ground, helpless
with pain for d10/2 turns. The leg is useless until the
fracture has healed in six weeks. If the leg was set with a
successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent, limited
mobility is returned although M is reduced by 2 and all
Dodge Blow tests will count as Challenging (-10%).
Otherwise the hip will heal in a bad position, making the
joint very stiff and painful, reducing M to 1 and making all
Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%).
12. Your bullet shatters your targets thighbone into several
fragments, knocking him to the ground, clasping his leg in
agony, counting as helpless for d10 turns, then suffering a
penalty of 20% to all tests for the duration of the battle
due to the agonizing pain. Such an injury requires magical

healing within d10 days or it will develop gangrene and

need amputation.
13. Your bullet rips through the targets groin where the leg
joins the hip, severing the femoral artery. Bleeding
excessively, the target falls to the ground, suffering a
cumulative penalty of 10% to WS, BS, Ag and S each
turn, falling unconscious when any of those characteristics
reaches zero. Hell then die from loss of blood in another
d10/2 turns unless magical healing is provided.
14. Your bullet smashes into your targets hip, ricocheting
from the pelvis into the abdominal cavity, deforming and
ripping through guts and internal organs. Your target falls
to the ground, helpless with pain, expiring in great agony
within d10 turns.
15. Your bullet slams into your targets pelvis, shattering bone
and lacerating nerves and major blood vessels. Your target
falls to the ground and dies inevitably in d10/2 turns from
shock and massive loss of blood.

Critical Hits Cutting Damage

ARM
1.

Your opponents arm is nicked, causing some bleeding that

makes his grip slippery. At the start of his next turn he must
make a Hard (-20%) WS test or lose either one attack or one
free parry, depending on what he holds in that hand.
2. Your weapon slices across your opponents fingers. He must
make an immediate Challenging (-10%) T test or drop whatever he is holding in that hand.
3. Your weapon bites into the targets biceps muscle. Until he
has healed at least one W, any attacks or parries made with
that arm will suffer a penalty of 20% to WS, BS and S.
4. Your weapon drives into the large deltoid muscle of your
opponents shoulder, sending a shock down the entire arm,
causing whatever is held in that hand to be dropped. For the
rest of the combat he suffers a penalty of 10% to his WS,
due to the pain.
5. Your weapon opens up your opponents forearm, slicing
open the skin to expose red, twitching, glistening layers of
muscle. Anything held in that hand is dropped and the opponent must pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or count as
stunned until the end of his next turn, staring at the hideous
sight. If he fails hell drop anything held in the other hand,
grasping at the wound in an attempt to close it. He may attempt another test on each subsequent turn to recover from
this, now at his unmodified WP.
6. Your weapon slices into your opponents forearm, rebounding from the bone. Anything held in that hand is dropped and
the hand is useless until his injury level is changed back to
Lightly Wounded.
7. Your weapon slices into your opponents forearm, damaging
muscles and tendons, lodging in the bone for a fraction of a
second before being wrenched loose. Your opponent is
stunned until the end of his next turn and the hand is useless
until his W characteristic is fully restored. In addition, hell
suffer a permanent penalty of 10% to any tests requiring
fine manipulation made with that arm, due to difficulties
opening the fingers properly.
8. Your weapon severs your opponents biceps muscle from its
tendonous attachments to the bones in the forearm. The entire arm is useless until his W characteristic is fully restored.
However, magical healing or a successful Heal test with the
Surgery Talent is needed to restore full function; otherwise
any use of that arm will suffer a 20% penalty, including for
WS, BS and S tests, due to the severed muscle and tendon
ends not knitting together properly, making it difficult to flex
the arm.
9. Your weapon cleanly slices a large chunk of flesh from the
meaty part of the upper arm and shoulder. Anything held in
the hand is dropped, your opponent cannot use that arm and
suffers a penalty of 20% to his WS for the duration of the
combat due to pain and bleeding. He must also make an
immediate Hard (-20%) T test or fall to the ground from the
intense pain.
10. Your weapon severs d10/2 fingers from your opponents
hand. A result of 5 means the whole hand has been lopped
off. He must make an immediate Hard (-20%) WP test or
count as stunned until the end of his next turn. If more than
two fingers are lost anything in that hand is dropped as well
and it can no longer be used to hold any weapons. Any tasks
requiring fine manipulation performed with that hand in the
future suffers a penalty of 5% to any such test, per finger
lost, with no task at all possible if the whole hand has been
lost. If the whole hand has been severed your opponent will
suffer a penalty of 10% to all tests for the remainder of the
battle due to shock and bleeding.
11. Your opponents arm is severed at the elbow. Blood pumps
out in bright spurts and he suffers a 20% chance of fainting

12.

13.

14.

15.

from loss of blood each turn until a successful Heal test has
staunched the bleeding, requiring two full turns of bandaging
or a good burning, cauterising the wound. If left untended
and unconscious he will bleed to death, suffering a 10%
chance of dying each turn once unconscious.
Your weapon slashes deeply into your opponents shoulder,
severing the collarbone. There is a 50% chance the large
artery of the shoulder is severed or the tip of the lung punctured, in which case hell suffer a cumulative penalty of
10% to all WS, BS, S and Ag each turn, falling unconscious
when any of those characteristics reaches zero, dying within
another d10 turns unless magical healing is provided. Even if
he survives the blow the arm will be useless and hell suffer
a penalty of 20% to all WS, BS, S and Ag tests until his W
characteristic is fully restored and the stump healed.
Your opponents arm is severed cleanly at the shoulder, resulting in gouts of blood pouring from the ruined stump,
causing his death within five turns unless magical healing
can be obtained, which, however, cannot restore the arm.
Your opponent falls immediately unconscious in a twitching
heap.
Your weapon drives cleanly through your opponents shoulder near the junction between body and neck and continues
deep into his chest cavity. Your surprised adversary can only
stare at you as he slides slowly off your blade and into oblivion, dying inevitably within d10/2 turns.
Your weapon crashes into your opponents shoulder, continuing its arc through his body until it exits through his
opposite hip. He falls in two pieces, dead before he hits the
ground.

BODY
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

You slash your opponent across the chest, rending his clothing or causing an unsightly scrape or laceration across his
armour. As your opponent stumbles backward he will not be
able to perform any attack action on his next turn. If he is
wearing neither armour nor clothing the blade will slice the
skin, causing him to flinch and earning him an extra 10%
penalty to any parries made until the end of his next turn
apart from not being able to attack.
A long cut along a rib leaves white bone gleaming through
the wound. The shock and pain earns your opponent a penalty of 10% to all actions until the end of his next turn.
Your weapon cuts into the soft tissues over your opponents
collarbone, chipping the bone. He must make a Very Hard
(-30%) WP test or drop his weapon.
Your weapon splits one of your opponents ribs. He must
make a Hard (-20%) T test or count as stunned until the end
of his next turn as he gasps for breath. For the rest of this
battle he will suffer a penalty of 5% to any parries due to
the pain from the damaged chest muscles connecting to his
shoulder and upper arm.
Your weapon slices across your opponents chest, splitting
open leather or mail links and dislodging any shoulder
plates, reducing the AP of his body armour by 1. If he is not
wearing any armour the result will be as for #4 above.
You carve deeply into your opponents side, lodging your
weapon in the bony portion of his hip. He falls to the ground,
writhing in pain, causing him to count as helpless until the
end of his next turn. On your next turn you must make an
Easy (+20%) S test to dislodge your weapon, whereupon
you can take a full action as normal. Until you succeed you
will be unable to use the weapon and your opponent will
continue to be counted as stunned due to the excruciating
pain of your wrenching and twisting of your weapon in his
wound. Letting go of your weapon counts as having dislodged it. Your opponent can try to tear himself free by pass-

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Cutting Damage

ing both an Average WP test and an Easy (+20%) S test, an
exception to the rule of not being able to perform any actions
when stunned, although hell still count as helpless on that
turn, regardless of whether or not he succeeds.
7. Your weapon drives into the right side of your opponents
abdomen, just underneath the ribs, penetrating the wall of
flesh and muscle into his abdominal cavity and nicking the
gallbladder. Your opponent must make a Hard (-20%) T test
or be stunned for d10/2 turns. In addition, he must make a
Very Hard (-30%) T test or die from infection in d10 days
(becoming delirious and helpless within one day) unless
successful magical healing, the Shallyan Cure Disease spell
or a Very Hard (-30%) Heal test with the Surgery Talent is
made within half that time. The latter involves a very risky
surgical procedure, digging deep into the abdomen, stitching
up the holes and cleaning out any gall or other foul substances visible.
8. Your weapon slices into your opponents groin, causing
dramatic bleeding and stunning him for d10 turns (d10/2 if
female). Hell suffer a penalty of 10% to all tests for the
remainder of the battle due to the pain. In addition there is a
50% risk he will be rendered permanently sterile from the
injury (10% if female).
9. Your weapon slices into your opponents belly and groin,
puncturing the bladder. With a faint odour of ammonia, urine
spills from the wound and onto your blade. Your opponent
must make a Challenging (-10%) WP test or gain one extra
IP as he realizes what has happened. He will suffer a penalty
of 20% to all actions for the rest of the battle. Fortunately,
urine is more or less sterile, meaning he will only have to
make a Challenging (-10%) T test to avoid contracting a
lethal infection as for #7 above. If he survives he must make
a Challenging (-10%) T test or be prone to leakage and constantly reek of urine, permanently reducing his Fel by 10%.
10. Your weapon cuts through the lower left ribs and drives deep
into the abdominal cavity, lacerating the spleen. The heavy
internal bleeding resulting from this will cause a cumulative
loss of 5% to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn. When any of
those characteristics reaches zero your opponent falls unconscious and will die within d10/2 hours unless successful
magical healing or a successful surgery is performed. In the
latter case the procedure is as for Blunt Damage to Body #6
except that time is quickly running out, leaving less time for
getting your opponent to a surgeon.
11. Your weapon deeply penetrates your opponents belly, badly
lacerating both the small and large intestine, spilling faecal
matter into the abdominal cavity. He will have to make an
immediate Challenging (-10%) T test or fall unconscious. If
successful hell still be at 20% to all tests due to pain and
shock for the duration of the combat. Such a wound inevitably causes a severe infection and hardly any amount of mundane healing in the Old World can repair such damage, the
victim usually dying within d10/2 days. Should an attempt at
Heal with the Surgery Talent be made it will count as Very
Hard (-30%) and even if the surgeon is successful your opponent must still pass a Very Hard (-30%) T test or succumb
to infection anyway. Any successful magical healing attempt
will take care of the infection as well but will also be
counted as Very Hard (-30%) unless a successful Shallyan
Cure Disease spell has first been performed, in which case it
merely counts as Challenging (-10%).
12. Your weapon opens your opponents abdomen, spilling his
entrails about his feet. Death will occur within d10 turns
unless magical healing as per #11 is obtained. Until that time
your opponent can do nothing except futilely try to stuff the
spilt entrails back into his ruined abdomen. Anyone surviving such a horrifying experience will gain d10/2 IP.

13. Your weapon slices deep into your opponent, splitting several ribs before severing the spinal cord and lodging in a
vertebra. As you yank loose your weapon he falls down and
must make an immediate Hard (-20%) T test or die on the
spot. If successful he will be helpless for the duration of the
battle and will then be a cripple for the rest of his life, paralysed from the waist down. No amount of mundane or magical healing, except possibly the direct personal intervention
of Shallya herself, could repair such an injury.
14. You cut deeply into your opponents chest, staving in ribs
and puncturing a lung before splitting the heart and aorta,
showering you in a spray of blood. Your opponent spits
blood as he slides off your weapon and inevitably dies
within the next turn.
15. Your weapon describes a clean arc through your opponents
chest and belly, practically splitting the poor bugger in half.
He dies immediately, falling to the ground in two loosely
connected pieces.

HEAD
1.

The flat of your blade clips your opponents head. If he is

not wearing a helmet he counts as stunned until the end of
his next turn; otherwise the helmet flies off his head to land
d10 feet away in a random direction.
2. You slash your opponent across the cheek, causing a shallow
but painful wound. He suffers a penalty of 10% on his WS
until the end of his next turn.
3. Your weapon glances off your opponents temple, causing
momentary disorientation. He suffers a penalty of 20% on
his WS until the end of his next turn.
4. You slash your opponent across the forehead. The flow of
blood into his eyes will cause a penalty of 20% to his WS
until he spends a half action to wipe it away. Each turn after
that there is a 30% risk more blood will flow down, repeating the modifier, possibly occurring again and again until he
can take two whole turns to bandage the wound.
5. The flat of your weapon lands a solid blow to the side of
your opponents head, stunning him. At the start of each of
his subsequent turns after the next he must take a T test to
recover from it, after which he can fight normally.
6. You nick a major vein in your opponents neck, causing
heavy bleeding. Until he has two full turns of bandaging and
a successful Heal test performed on him, he must, after a
number of turns equal to his TB characteristic, start passing
a Routine (+10%) T test each turn, falling unconscious from
loss of blood if he fails.
7. You slice off a large part of one of your opponents ears, the
pain causing a penalty of 20% to his WS until the end of
his next turn. Unless hiding his injury he will also suffer a
penalty of 5% to his Fel in any situation where good looks
are important.
8. Your weapon slices off your opponents nose as he bends
backward in an attempt to dodge your blow. He counts as
stunned until the end of his next turn and will suffer a permanent 10% modifier to his Fel. However, he will have a
+10% bonus modifier to Intimidation tests. A prosthetic nose
will halve both modifiers.
9. You cut deep into your opponents scalp, chipping the skull.
He must make an immediate T test or fall unconscious from
the blow. If he succeeds he counts as stunned his next two
turns and must then make another T test to recover or remain
stunned.
10. Your weapon crashes into the side of your opponents head,
stunning him until the end of his next turn, severing one ear
and ruining his hearing on that side. The unsightly scar
across that side of his face reduces his Fel by 10% (but

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Cutting Damage

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

adds +10% to any Intimidation tests) and the hearing loss

causes a 15% penalty to all hearing-related Perception tests.
You slice your opponent across the eyes. There is a 50% risk
for each eye that it is destroyed. If neither eye is destroyed
you merely nicked his eyelids and the bridge of his nose,
causing severe pain and blood in the eyes, but your opponent
still counts as helpless until he makes a successful Challenging (-10%) T test, starting his attempts on his next turn, and
even after succeeding he suffers 20% to his WS, BS and
Ag until he has been properly bandaged after the battle. He
then needs to keep the bandages on, effectively blinding
him, until he has recovered at least one W. If either eye is
destroyed your opponent counts as helpless and partly
blinded as above but also must reduce any BS or sight-based
Perception test by half, including any bonus from Talents
such as Excellent Vision or Sharpshooter. If both eyes are
destroyed your opponent is totally blind and helpless.
Your weapon opens a large gash from the forehead to the
jaw, cutting across and destroying one eye. He suffers penalties as for the loss of one eye as per #11 above but also has
his Fel reduced by 20% due to the horribly disfiguring scar,
although he gains a +10% bonus to any Intimidation tests.
Your weapon slices through your opponents lower jaw,
causing the loss of several teeth as well as a portion of the
tongue. Loss of blood is significant. Your opponent must
make an immediate Hard (-20%) T test or fall unconscious.
If he fails he must make another unmodified T test to avoid
choking to death on his own blood, unless someone else
realizes his predicament with a successful Int or Heal test
and rolls him over onto his side to let the blood and gore
drain out of his mouth. If conscious he will be stunned for
one turn and then suffers a penalty of 20% to WS and BS
due to the pain for the duration of the battle. Scarring will
cause penalties as per #12 above. Also he will suffer an additional penalty of 10% to any tests requiring him to be
clearly heard due to speech difficulties from the missing
piece of tongue.
Your weapon describes an arc through your opponents temple, taking off a large chunk of his skull and brain, causing
you to be showered by a spray of blood, bone chips and
brain matter. No healing in the world will prevent your opponent from expiring in d10/2 turns.
Your weapon cleanly severs your opponents head, causing it
to fly d10-5 yards in a random direction as twin jets of blood
shoot up from the trunk of his neck, the mouth of the head
working in a futile attempt to scream as it arcs through the
air before death occurs a fraction of a turn later. If the result
is zero yards or less, you merely slashed through his throat,
giving him a wide new smile, and his head remains attached
to his neck, although hell die almost as quickly.

LEG
1.

2.
3.
4.

The flat of your blade strikes your opponent's shin, forcing

him to pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or drop his
weapon and spend until the end of his next turn hopping on
one leg, swearing and grasping his bruised shin, losing one
half-action while thus occupied.
Your weapon slashes your opponent's calf. He suffers a penalty of 1 to M and 10% to any Dodge Blow tests until he
has healed himself back to Lightly Wounded.
Your weapon strikes your opponent's thigh. He must pass a
Challenging (-10%) T test or be knocked to the ground.
Your weapon bites deeply into the large muscles on your
opponent's thigh. He must pass a Hard (-20%) T test or be
knocked to the ground. He suffers a penalty of 2 to M and
20% to any Dodge Blow tests until he has healed himself

back to Lightly Wounded and then halves that penalty until

his W characteristic is fully recovered.
5. Your weapon slices into the inside of your opponent's thigh,
narrowly missing the femoral artery. The gash causes your
opponent great pain and he will have to pass a Hard (-20%)
WP test or drop whatever he holds in one hand (his weaponhand if he is also using a shield, otherwise he can choose
which hand) and clutch at the wound, getting to make another test each subsequent turn if he fails in order to let go
and perform some other action with that arm.
6. Your weapon chops into your opponent's thigh lengthwise,
causing a great gaping wound and lodging in the thighbone.
Your opponent falls to the ground. You must spend a halfaction dislodging your weapon and your opponent suffers a
penalty of -20% to all actions until it is dislodged, at which
time he must make a WP test to be able to stand up and hobble with a M of 1, suffering a penalty of -10% to his WS and
30% to any Dodge Blow tests, due to pain and poor balance. These penalties remain until his W characteristic is
fully recovered.
7. Your weapon severs large muscles at the back of your opponent's thigh. He falls to the ground and suffers a penalty of
2 to his M and 20% to any Dodge Blow tests. This penalty
remains permanently unless someone passes a Challenging
(-10%) Heal test with the Surgery Talent or magical healing
is provided before the target has healed himself up to his full
W characteristic at which point the severed ends of the tendons and muscles have shrivelled and contracted so much
that successful surgery or healing is impossible.
8. You cleave your opponent's kneecap, destroying it and
knocking him to the ground. He must pass a Very Hard
(-30%) WP test or spend the next d10 turns grasping at his
knee in utmost agony, counting as helpless. Passing this test
reduces that time to d10/2. For the duration of the battle he
will be at -10% to all tests due to severe pain, and he will
suffer a penalty of 2 to his M and 20% to any Dodge Blow
tests from now on. Only magical healing can restore the
kneecap's function.
9. Your weapon cuts into your opponent's knee, almost driving
clean through the leg, severing large ligaments connecting
the bones of the upper and lower leg. Your opponent falls to
the ground and can no longer support himself on that leg,
forcing him to move with a crutch in the future (reducing M
to 1 and counting any Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard, unless
he uses two crutches, raising his M to 2 but allowing no use
of any weapon in either hand and retaining the Dodge Blow
penalty). Only magical healing can restore the knee, and
even that will be difficult, requiring a Challenging (-10%)
spell test.
10. Your weapon severs your opponent's large Achilles tendon at
the back of his ankle. He must make an immediate Hard
(-20%) Ag test to avoid falling to the ground. He suffers a
penalty of -20% to all tests for d10 rounds due to the pain.
His M is reduced by 2 and any Dodge Blow tests will count
as Hard (-20%). Magical healing as for #9 above is required
to restore full function, although a Hard (-20%) Heal test
with the Surgery Talent can also be used, halving the permanent penalties due to a weakened but functional tendon as a
result of some difficult stitching.
11. Your weapon slices into your opponent's groin, severing
large blood vessels. He falls to the ground, helpless from
pain and shock for d10 rounds. Afterwards he'll suffer a
penalty of -20% to all tests for the duration of the battle due
to pain and bleeding. In addition, if male, your opponent
suffers a 50% risk of becoming permanently emasculated.
12. You slice your opponent's foot from the ankle, felling him to
the ground and stunning him for d10 turns. Until a success-

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Cutting Damage

ful Heal test or magical healing has stopped the bleeding he
suffers a 10% chance of dying from loss of blood each turn.
If he survives he'll need crutches or a prosthetic foot to get
around, reducing his M to 2 and counting any Dodge Blow
tests as Very Hard (-30%).
13. Your weapon cleanly severs your opponent's leg at the knee,
causing him to fall to the ground, helpless, and die from loss
of blood in d10 turns unless a Hard (-20%) Heal test or
magical healing stops the bleeding. Movement penalties, if
he survives, will be as for #12 above, substituting a peg leg
for the prosthetic foot.
14. Your weapon drives deep into the thigh of your opponent,
severing the femoral artery. He falls to the ground, unconscious, and the huge spurting rhythmic sprays of blood will
result in his death d10/2 turns later.
15. Your weapon carves deeply into your opponent's pelvis,
severing the leg near the body and driving into the opposite
leg. Your opponent is dead from traumatic shock and massive loss of blood before he hits the ground.

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits - Flame & Energy Damage

1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.
11.

12.
13.

14.

ARM:
Flames blister your targets hand, causing a penalty of
10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
Flames lick your targets upper arm, sending a blast of hot
air into his face, causing a penalty of 20% to his WS until
the end of his next turn.
Flames lick your targets arm, making any clothes
covering it catch fire. Each attempt to put the fire out,
waving the arm frantically in the arm, requires a halfaction and a successful Challenging (-10%) Ag test, with
the target unable to take any other full or half actions until
it is out. Lack of clothes, burnable fur or similar equivalent
will result in stunning for d10/2 turns instead.
Flames engulf your targets arm, causing burns serious
enough to give him a penalty of 10% to all actions taken
with that arm until the end of the battle. Also, his clothes
catch fire as per #3 above.
Flames torch your targets hand, causing him to drop
anything held in that hand. It will be useless for the
duration of the battle. Afterward, hell have to pass an
Average T test or suffer a permanent penalty of 10% to
all tests requiring fine manipulation performed with that
hand due to scarring and contractions.
Flames burn through your targets clothes, sending
blackened shreds sailing into the sky, causing bad enough
burns on his arm to warrant stunning for d10/2 turns and a
permanent penalty of 10% to all WS, Ag or S tests
performed with that arm, unless magical healing is
provided within d10 days.
Flames badly burn muscle attachments connecting the
shoulder-blade to the muscles of the upper arm. The arm
will be useless for the rest of the battle, and, unless
magical healing is provided, difficulties lifting the arm
properly will cause a permanent penalty of 20% to any
WS and S tests made with that arm.
A jet of flame crisps the muscles over your targets
shoulder, making the arm useless until the end of the
battle. In addition, the targets clothes catch fire, forcing
him to drop anything held in the other hand to beat at the
bright flames. He will not be able to take any half or full
actions until they are out, requiring a half-action and a
successful Hard (-20%) Ag test. Rolling on the ground
works too, reducing the test to Challenging (-10%).
Afterward the arm will suffer permanent penalties as per
#6 above.
Your targets whole arm is engulfed in flame, stunning him
for d10/2 turns and making the arm useless for the rest of
the battle. Pain is rapidly replaced by a numb sensation,
due to nerve endings having been charred away. Damage
to muscle and tendons, as well as contractions from
massive scar tissue forming will result in a permanent
penalty of 20% to WS, Ag and S for any tests made with
that arm.
White-hot flames turn your targets fingers into blackened
stumps, stunning him for d10 turns. The hand is
permanently useless.
Flames charbroil your targets elbow, fusing muscle and
tendons. The arm is useless, and, due to massive loss of
skin and other tissue, very susceptible to infection and
gangrene. Unless the skin is regenerated within d10 days,
requiring magical healing, the arm will have to be
amputated.
A jet of fire burns the arm clean off at the elbow, stunning
your target for d10 turns and causing a penalty of 20% to
all tests for the rest of the battle.
Flames engulf your targets whole arm, barbequing all
muscle and burning off half his facial hair. The resulting
steaming piece of broiled meat causes your target to be
helpless with pain for d10 turns. A successful Challenging
(-10%) WP test is required to remain conscious. The
remains of the arm will have to be amputated.
A ball of flame impacts on your target's shoulder, burning
it to the bone and scorching the side of his face. Also, the
wave of heat erupts into the side of his torso, boiling one

lung. The target falls to the ground, helpless with shock,

and expires inevitably within d10/2 turns.
15. The conflagration hits your target's arm, the ball of fire
enveloping him. He falls to the ground, dead as a
doorknob, his arm reduced to a shrivelled stump and the
entire side of his body charred black.
BODY:
Flames crinkle the target's body hair, causing a penalty of
-10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
2. Flames raise blisters on your target's torso, causing a
penalty of -20% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
3. A ball of fire impacts against your target's belly, stunning
him until the end of his next turn.
4. Your target's clothes start smouldering, wisps of smoke
and small flames leaping up from them. Your target must
drop everything in at least one hand to beat at the flames,
requiring a half-action and a successful Average Ag test to
put it out, the target unable to take any other half or full
actions until then. Lack of clothes, burnable fur or similar
equivalent will result in stunning for d10/2 turns instead.
5. Fire engulfs your target's torso, setting his clothes alight.
He'll have to drop to the ground and roll around the beat
out the flames, requiring a full action and a Challenging
(-10%) Ag test, unable to take any other half or full actions
until then. Lack of clothes, burnable fur or similar
equivalent will result in stunning for d10 turns instead.
6. The target's clothes catch fire as per #5 above, but flames
also leap up from them, setting fire to his head hair and
temporarily blinding him. He counts as helpless until the
end of his next turn, and can then attempt to beat out the
flames. In addition, blisters and burns will cause a penalty
of 10% to all tests until the end of the battle.
7. Your target's chest is badly burned, scorching the muscles.
He'll suffer a penalty of -20% to WS, BS, Ag and S until
the end of the battle. Unless magical healing is provided,
his S will be permanently reduced by -10% due to
irreparably damaged chest musculature.
8. A jet of flame hits your target in the small of his back,
burning the flesh to the bone, exposing vertebra through
the scorched flesh. He'll suffer a penalty of -30% to all
tests until the end of the battle, and will afterward suffer
half that penalty until his W characteristic is fully restored.
In addition, due to loss of skin and exposed bone, he'll
have to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or suffer infection,
killing him from sepsis within d10 days unless a
successful Shallyan Cure Disease spell is performed.
9. Fire engulfs your target, with effects as per #5 above, only
needing to pass a Hard (-20%) Ag test and a risk of
infection as per #8 above.
10. A ball of fire impacts against your target's chest. As he
gasps for air, he inhales the flames, badly burning his
airways and lungs. He counts as helpless for d10/2 turns
and must then pass a Hard (-20%) T test or his airways
will swell up and suffocate him to death within 2d10
helpless turns. Only magical healing can save him from
that, lessening the swelling. If he survives, he'll suffer a
permanent penalty of -15% to T and S due to reduced lung
capacity, as well as gaining one extra IP from the horrible
experience.
11. A ball of fire impacts against your target's belly, a thin jet
of flame burning through the abdominal wall, crisping a
part of the small intestine. The target is helpless with
agony for d10 turns and will die within 2d10 hours unless
magical healing is provided, counting as a Very Hard
(-30%) spell test to undo the effects of a cooked gut.
12. A blast of flame rips across your target's chest, burning
away flesh and exposing the ribs beneath. He must pass an
immediate Challenging (-10%) WP test to stay conscious.
If successful, he'll count as helpless for d10 turns and
suffer a penalty of -30% to all tests until his W
characteristic is fully restored. Afterward, he'll suffer a
permanent reduction of -20% to WS, BS, Ag, S and T, due
to massive tissue loss. There is also a risk of infection, as
1.

Critical Hits - Flame & Energy Damage

per #8 above. If magical healing is provided, counting as a
Very Hard (-30%) spell test, the permanent penalties will
be halved.
13. A jet of flame burns through your target's spine,
permanently paralysing him from the waist down. He
counts as helpless from shock for d10 turns and suffers a
risk of infection as per #8 above.
14. A jet of flame burns its way into your target's ribcage,
turning his lungs to ash and making fire burst from his
mouth. He dies before he hits the ground.
15. A huge ball of fire impacts against your target's chest, the
resulting explosive conflagration engulfing him totally,
leaving little but a scorched skull and some broiled limbs
lying amidst a couple of blackened ribs.
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

HEAD:
One of your targets cheeks is blistered, causing a penalty
of 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
Your targets eyebrows and eyelashes are singed, causing a
penalty of 20% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
Your targets hair catches fire, making him count as
stunned until the end of his next turn while he frantically
slaps at his scalp. In addition, hell have to pass an
Average WP test for each thing he holds in his hands, to
keep holding on to them. Lack of hair will instead lead to
stunning for d10/2 turns due to a severely blistered
noggin.
Your target is temporarily blinded in one eye, reducing his
BS and WS by 10% for the rest of the battle. If already
one-eyed, the chance is fifty-fifty that hell either be
relatively unaffected, as per as #2 above, or fully blinded,
counting as helpless.
One side of your targets face is badly burned, just missing
the eye. He counts as stunned until the end of his next turn
and must pass a Hard (-20%) WP test to avoid dropping
anything held in at least one hand, clapping it to his
sizzling face. The heavy scarring resulting from this
damage will permanently reduce his Fel by 2d10.
One of your targets ears is crisped, the surrounding cheek
and scalp badly blistered. He must test for dropping his
weapons as per #3 and hell be stunned until the end of his
next turn, requiring another WP test to recover. In
addition, after the battle hell have to pass a Challenging
(-10%) T test or lose hearing on that side, making any
hearing-based Perception tests count as Hard (-20%).
Also, his Fel will be reduced permanently by 10% due to
facial scarring.
Flames scorch your targets chin and lower jaw. Hell be
stunned for d10 turns and suffer a penalty of 10% to all
tests for the rest of the battle, due to having inhaled some
of the flames and blistering the insides of his mouth and
upper airways. His Fel will be permanently reduced by
10% because of unattractive scarring and problems
opening and closing his mouth properly due to damage to
muscles connecting to the lower jaw.
A blast of flame fuses your targets voice box, rendering
him permanently mute and stunning him for d10/2 turns.
Hell also suffer a penalty of 20% to all tests for the rest
of the battle, due to difficulties breathing through a
scorched windpipe. Fel will be permanently reduced by
5%, due to scarring and rasping breath.
A jet of flame burns your targets scalp to the bone,
forcing him to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or pass out from
heat-shock to the brain. Hell suffer a penalty of 20% to
all tests for 2d10 turns, due to pain and dizziness. After the
battle, the loss of skin results in serious risk of infection.
Hell have to pass an Average T test or suffer an infection
that will leave him helpless and delirious for d10 days,
whereupon hell have to make another test to either
recover or die. A Shallyan Cure Disease spell will deal
with any infection. Because of the exposed bone and the
skin not being able to grow back over it properly, any time
the target is exposed to sources of contamination (such as
walking through a swamp or sleeping in a dirty barn), the

10.

11.
12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

GM might force him to repeat those tests. Magical healing

will let the skin grow back, preventing this.
A ball of flame impacts in your targets face, burning him
hideously. Hell count as helpless for the rest of the battle.
Fel will be permanently reduced by 20% and hell have
to pass an Average T test for each eye to retain sight. One
lost eye will result in reduction of BS and any sight-based
Perception test by half, including any bonus from Talents
such as Excellent Vision or Sharpshooter. Loss of all eyes
will mean total blindness. Magical healing will not restore
sight but halves the Fel reduction.
A blast of flame sears one whole side of your targets
head. Apply the worst results of #7, #9 and #10 above.
A jet of flame blasts the back of your targets head, almost
boiling his brain. Apply risk of infection as per #9 above,
but the target also falls immediately unconscious and will
have a brand new Insanity when he wakes up d10/2 days
later, due to brain damage.
A white-hot jet of flame tears into the targets neck, frying
the spinal cord. Hell have to make an immediate Hard
(-20%) T test or die within d10/2 turns from brain damage
as well, knocking out his respiratory control centre. If he
survives hell be paralysed from the neck down. In
addition, there is a 50% chance hell suffer the results of
#8 as well, due to the front of the neck getting a dose of
flame as well.
The conflagration engulfs your targets head, boiling his
brain within his skull and reducing any protruding features
to blackened stumps. The target is inevitably very much
dead within one turn.
A blast of fire reduces your targets head to a greasy cloud
of smoke, leaving only the blackened stump of his neck.
The rest of the body drops limply to the ground, its clothes
smouldering.
LEG:
Flame licks your target's leg, causing a penalty of -10% to
his WS until the end of his next turn.
Flame licks your target's leg and hip, causing a penalty of
-20% to his Ws until the end of his next turn.
Your target's footwear catches fire, forcing him to put it
out with a half-action and a successful Average Ag test,
stamping his foot furiously, unable to take any other half
or full actions until it is done. If he is not wearing any
footwear, his foot is badly blistered, stunning him until the
end of his next turn as he howls with pain.
Your target's pants catch fire, forcing him to drop
everything in at least one hand and beat at the flames
frantically, requiring a half-action and a successful
Challenging (-10%) Ag test to put it out. He is unable to
take any other half or full actions until the fire has been
put out. If he is not wearing pants or similar clothing, his
thigh is badly blistered, causing a penalty of -10% to his
WS until the end of the battle as skin crackles and blisters
pop, causing clear serum to run down his leg.
The back of your target's leg and his buttocks are badly
burned, damaging the hamstrings and the tendons at the
back of the knee. He is stunned until the end of his next
turn and then suffers a penalty of -2 to M and -20% to any
Dodge Blow tests until the end of the battle. Unless the
burns are magically healed, half that penalty will
permanently remain, due to contractions and scarring.
Most of the skin on the front of the leg is burned away,
setting fire to any pants as per #4 above. Penalties are
similar to #5 above, with an added risk of infection due to
the huge loss of skin. The target will have to pass a Hard
(-20%) T test or suffer a bad infection with resulting
necrosis and gangrene that will require an amputation of
the leg within d10 days, unless a successful Shallyan Cure
Disease spell is performed.
Flames lick the target's groin, stunning him for d10 turns.
Also, if male, he will have to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or
be rendered permanently sterile.

Critical Hits - Flame & Energy Damage

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Flames scorch your target's foot, burning away most of the

toes and exposing white bone underneath the cracked,
blackened and skinless muscles. Risk of infection is as for
#6 above, possibly requiring amputation of the foot. The
foot will be useless until the target's W characteristic has
been fully restored, and he will suffer a permanent penalty
of -2 to M and -20% to any Dodge Blow tests, hobbling
along on a scarred, stiff and toe-less club of a foot.
A jet of flame blasts your target's knee. He falls to the
ground, stunned for d10/2 turns, unable to get up. Hell
suffer a penalty of -20% to all tests for the duration of the
battle due to excruciating pain. The leg will be totally
useless until the target's W characteristic has been fully
restored. Even then he will have a permanent reduction of
M to 1 and suffer a penalty of -30% to any Dodge Blow
tests, due to a thoroughly stiff joint and insensible
nerveless leg. If magical healing is provided, the penalties
will be reduced to -2 to M and -20% to Dodge Blow,
restoring at least some function.
Flames engulf the entire leg, putting the target's pants on
fire and felling him to the ground, both hands beating
frantically at the flames as he mewls piteously. Putting the
flames out will require a full action and a Hard (-20%) Ag
test. Lack of clothes, burnable fur or similar equivalent
will result in stunning for d10/2 turns instead. Afterwards,
he'll suffer -30% to all tests due to the agony and the leg
will be a blistered, scorched mass of flesh with shreds of
skin hanging from it, utterly useless until the target's W
characteristic has been fully restored. Risk of infection is
as per #6 above, while permanent penalties are as per #9
above.
A blast of flame reduces your target's foot to a blackened
stump with the sizzling ends of the bones sticking out of it.
The target falls to the ground, helpless with pain for d10
turns. The foot is, of course, permanently lost.
A jet of flame eats away most of the soft tissues on your
target's calf, leaving the lower leg a thin, black, brittle
stick with a foot stuck on one end and a screaming,
agonized burn victim on the other. The target falls to the
ground, helpless with pain and shock for 2d10 turns,
suffering a penalty of -20% to all tests for the rest of the
day. The lower leg is irretrievably lost, needing only good
strong blow to be broken off.
A ball of flame impacts on the target's leg, blowing it off
and cauterising the stump. The target must make an
immediate Hard (-20%) WP test or fall unconscious. If
successful, he'll be helpless with pain for 2d10 turns and
suffer a penalty of -30% to all tests for the rest of the day.
A jet of flame blasts the target's hip, broiling the joint and
cooking parts of his intestines inside his abdomen. He falls
unconscious to the ground, dying inevitably within 2d10
turns.
The target's leg is completely blown off at the hip by a
blast of flame, the fire eating the flesh away from a large
part of his pelvis. Boiling blood ruptures the roasted major
arteries, causing an explosion of steaming blood as the
target drops to the ground, dying within one turn.

Critical Hits - Piercing Damage

1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

ARM:
Your weapon's tip slashes across the back of your
opponent's hand, causing him to flinch and lose one attack
or free parry (depending on which hand was hit).
Your weapon pricks your opponent's biceps muscle,
causing him to suffer a penalty of -10% to his WS until the
end of his next turn.
Your weapon's tip slashes across your opponent's forearm,
slitting the skin open in a wide gash and causing him to
suffer a penalty of -20% to his WS until the end of his next
turn.
Your weapon stabs into your opponent's shoulder, driving
into the large deltoid muscle, forcing him to make a Hard
(-20%) T test or drop whatever he is holding in that hand.
Also, for the duration of the battle, he will suffer a penalty
of -10% to any WS tests made with that arm, as well as a
penalty of -1 to his SB due to not being able to put his full
strength behind any blow with that arm.
Your weapon impales your opponent's hand through the
palm, driving in between the bones between the wrist and
fingers, but not severing any major tendons, blood vessels
or nerves. Your opponent drops anything held in that hand
and will suffer a penalty of -20% to all tests until your
weapon is withdrawn from his hand, which requires a halfaction either by you, to pull it out, or him, to yank his hand
off the blade. Letting go of the weapon counts as having
withdrawn it. If he does it himself hell have to first pass a
successful Challenging (-10%) WP test.
Your weapon deeply pierces your opponent's upper arm,
opening a gaping wound. He must make a Hard (-20%) T
test to avoid dropping anything he is holding in that hand
and suffers a penalty of -20% to WS and -2 to SB for any
attacks or parries made with that arm for the duration of
the battle.
Your weapon impales your opponent's forearm, lodging
between the radius and ulna, the long bones of the
forearm, lacerating the muscles controlling several fingers
as you yank it out in preparation for your next blow.
Anything held in that hand is dropped and your opponent
is stunned until he can pass a Challenging (-10%) T test.
Also, he cannot use his arm until his W characteristic is
fully restored, afterward suffering a penalty of -10% to
any WS tests as well as any tests requiring fine
manipulation made with that hand due to not being able to
flex his fingers properly. Successful magical healing
removes this penalty. Alternatively, a successful Hard
(-20%) Heal test with the Surgery Talent will manage to
stitch back enough of the muscles and tendons to halve
that penalty.
Your weapon drives into the soft tissues at the inside of
your opponent's elbow, severing the major blood vessels.
Anything held in that hand is dropped as blood gushes
forth, forcing your opponent to grab his elbow with the
opposite hand in an attempt to arrest the flow of blood. He
counts as stunned until the end of his next turn and must
then choose whether to let go and continue fighting with
the other hand, suffering a 5% risk of fainting from loss of
blood each turn, or to hold on and be able to do nothing
else except turn and flee from you. A successful Heal test
will stop the bleeding, although your opponent will count
the test as Hard (-20%) if attempting to tie the tourniquet
himself with the remaining hand and his teeth, requiring
two full actions. The arm will remain useless until his W
characteristic is fully recovered.
Your weapon pierces your opponent's forearm, driving in
between the radius and the ulna, the long bones of the
forearm, snapping the radius and chipping the ulna as you
savagely twist your weapon when withdrawing it. He
drops anything held in that hand and will have to pass a
Hard (-20%) WP test or count as helpless for d10/2 turns.
Success means he'll count as stunned instead. The arm will
be useless until the bones have knit after three weeks.
Also, due to damaged nerves and tendons, hell suffer a
permanent penalty of -20% to any WS tests as well as any

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.

3.

tests requiring fine manipulation made with that hand due

to not being able to use his hand properly. Successful
magical healing removes this penalty. Alternatively, a
successful Hard (-20%) Heal test with the Surgery Talent
will manage to stitch back enough of the muscles and
tendons to halve that penalty.
The point of your weapon enters your opponent's upper
arm near the elbow, scraping along the bone as it tears
upward toward the shoulder, badly slicing the large
muscles and opening up a long, gaping wound. Your
opponent screams with pain and horror at the sight of
white bone winking at him through the blood, counting as
helpless until the end of his next round, then having to
pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or turn and flee from
your dripping, gory blade. His arm will remain useless
until his W characteristic is fully restored.
Your weapon drives deep into your opponent's shoulder
joint, damaging the nerves and paralysing the arm. He'll
count as stunned for d10/2 turns and then suffers a penalty
of -20% to all tests for the remainder of the battle.
Afterward he'll have to pass a Hard (-20%) T test to
gradually regain use of his arm after six months. Magical
healing will help but count as Hard (-20%) spell test,
restoring function in two months. In addition your
opponent will have to pass a Challenging (-10%) T test
after 24 hours or suffer a bad infection from such a deep
wound to a major joint, forcing amputation or death within
d10 days. A successful Shallyan Cure Disease spell will
cure the infection.
Your weapon tears through your opponent's elbow joint,
cutting nerves, blood vessels and ligaments. He counts as
helpless for d10/2 turns as his lower arm dangles by a few
scraps of skin and muscle, gushing blood. He'll also have
to pass a T test each turn of faint until a successful
Challenging (-10%) Heal test has been performed on him
by someone else, stopping the bleeding with a tourniquet.
Until he faints or the flow of blood has stopped he'll count
as stunned, all will to fight having been taken out of him
by the sight of his own mangled limb. The arm will have
to be amputated.
Your weapon drives into your opponent's shoulder, just
below the collarbone, piercing the top of his lung, causing
it to rapidly collapse. He'll suffer a cumulative penalty of
-10% to his WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, fainting when
any of those characteristics reaches zero, dying in another
d10 turns unless magical healing is obtained. If he
survives hell regain his characteristics at a rate of 10%
per week as his lung slowly inflates itself.
Your weapon slams into your opponent's shoulder from
the side, penetrating into his chest cavity, piercing and
almost splitting the lung. Your opponent coughs up blood
and slides off your blade, dying inevitably in d10/2 turns.
Your weapon enters your opponent's armpit, slamming
deep into his chest and piercing his heart. He expires
immediately, although you'll have to take a half-action and
make a successful Easy (+20%) S test on your next turn to
extract your weapon from his limp corpse.
BODY:
The point of your weapon scores a line across your
opponents chest, causing him to stumble backward. He
may not perform any attack action on his next turn.
Your weapon punches into your opponents chest, sinking
in a fraction of an inch, not managing to penetrate his
chest wall into the lung but earning your opponent a
penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
Your weapon punches into your opponents belly, not quite
managing to penetrate into his abdominal cavity but
causing a painful wound and knocking his breath out,
forcing your opponent to make a Hard (-20%) T test or be
stunned until the end of his next turn. He must then pass a
second Challenging (-10%) WP test or suffer a penalty of
10% to any Dodge Blow tests for the rest of the battle

Critical Hits - Piercing Damage

4.
5.

6.

7.

8.

9.
10.

11.

12.

13.

due to the ducking and weaving straining belly muscles

that pull painfully at the wound.
Your weapon digs into a shoulder and nicks your
opponents collarbone, forcing him to pass a Very Hard
(-30%) WP test or drop his weapon.
Your weapon punches into your opponents belly, only
slashing skin and fatty tissue but catching on his clothes or
armour, forcing him off balance, able only to use any extra
free parry he has, at a penalty of 20% to his WS, until his
next turn as he waves his arms to maintain balance. If he is
wearing neither clothes nor armour, he will be at a penalty
of 30% to his WS next turn due to having his bellybutton
suddenly widened by a large red slash.
Your weapon drives into your opponents left side, driving
upward and penetrating through the flesh and muscle into
his abdominal cavity, nicking his gallbladder. The results
as for Cutting Damage to Body #7.
Your weapon tears a wide red trench across your
opponents hip, leaving gleaming white bone visible. Your
opponent is knocked to the ground, counting as stunned
until the end of his next turn. He must pass a Challenging
(-10%) WP test before attempting to get up and must then
pass additional tests each turn he wants to move at a rate
faster than a slow walk, due to the pain of torn muscles.
The effect lasts until his W characteristic is fully restored.
Your weapon drives into your opponents groin. If male,
he screams like a girl and counts as helpless for d10/2
rounds, having to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or be rendered
permanently sterile. A female counts as stunned instead.
Your weapon punches deeply into your opponents belly,
between bellybutton and scrotum, puncturing the bladder
with results as for Cutting Damage to Body #9.
Your weapon pierces your opponents chest, puncturing
and collapsing one lung. Luckily for him the wound closes
quickly and tightly, preventing a much deadlier tension
pneumothorax that would leak air into his chest like a oneway valve until the lungs could no longer inflate and the
heart no longer beat due to the pressure. His WS, BS, Ag,
S and M will be halved as he gasps for breath. The effects
last until the air in the pleural sack has drained
spontaneously in d10/2 weeks. Magical healing will speed
this process into mere days instead of weeks. However,
your opponent will also have to pass a Challenging (-10%)
T test or contract pneumonia within d10 days, then having
to make a second test or die within another d10 days,
otherwise being bedridden and delirious for the same
amount of time. A successful Shallyan Cure Disease spell
will cure it as well.
The tip of your weapon slams into your opponents chest,
penetrating between the ribs before being withdrawn in a
brief spray of blood. Unknown to your opponent, the blade
has nicked his heart, each beat pumping as much blood
into his chest cavity as into his arteries. Hell suffer a
cumulative penalty of 10% to WS, BS, Ag and S each
turn, collapsing and dying when any of those
characteristics reaches zero. Only very fast magical
healing can close the wound to the heart in time to save his
life, regaining his lost characteristics at a rate of 10% per
week as his body replenishes the massive amount of blood
lost.
You slice open your opponents belly, cruelly twisting the
blade in the wound before withdrawing it, spilling red ruin
at his feet. The effects are as for Cutting Damage to Body
#12.
You ram your weapon into your opponents solar plexus,
rupturing the diaphragm muscles he breathes with and
damaging the abdominal aorta. It is an even bet as to
whether he expires from breathing difficulties or massive
loss of blood first, dying inevitably in a widening pool of
blood in d10/2 turns. A last-ditch desperate attempt at
magical healing may be performed before then, at a
penalty of 30% to the spell test, success leaving him
unconscious but alive with a permanent penalty of 20%
to S and T due to reduced breathing capacity.

14. The point of your weapon punches up underneath the

lower ribs, lacerating your opponents heart. He can only
stare at you in shock as he crumbles to the ground, dying
inevitably in one turn.
15. Your weapon splits your opponents sternum and drives on
into his spine, killing him instantly. You must spend a halfaction to withdraw your imbedded weapon.
HEAD:
The point of your weapon splits the very tip of your
opponents nose, making him so mad he suffers a penalty
of 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
2. Your weapon scores a thin red line across your opponents
chin, parting any beard he may have. This is so upsetting
to him he may not take any attack actions until the end of
his next turn.
3. Your thrust glances along your opponents jaw and clips
his ear, cutting away any earring he might wear. He suffers
a penalty of 20% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
4. Your weapon glances over your opponents scalp, catching
on and flicking away any helmet or hat he might wear. A
chain coif sits too tightly to be removed so easily. A
leather cap is only removed if it is the only armour worn
on the head. Reduce AP on the head as appropriate. In
addition, your opponent suffers a penalty of 20% to his
WS until the end of his next turn due to pain and the
sudden flow of blood into his face.
5. The tip of your weapon slams into your opponents
forehead as he ducks to avoid having an eye taken out. He
is stunned until the end of his next turn and must pass a T
test before he can recover. In addition, blood will get into
his eyes as for Cutting Damage to Head #4.
6. Your weapon slices into the muscles on the side of your
opponents neck, barely missing any large blood vessels.
He now has problems holding his head up and turning it
quickly, suffering a penalty of 20% to all dodges and
parries for the duration of the battle. In addition, the
recurrent laryngeal nerve controlling his vocal cords was
damaged, causing him to speak hoarsely from now on,
reducing Fel by 5% for any tests requiring smooth
talking.
7. Your weapon slams into the side of your opponents face
close to the angle of the lower jaw, splitting and fracturing
it near the hinge of the mouth, causing him to be stunned
for d10/2 turns, after which he can do like a true Viking
and stuff his beard into his mouth, biting down on it to
keep his jaw in place. A lack of beard or Viking ancestry
results in only a lack of bragging rights, however. Until the
jaw has healed in d10/2 weeks hell have to bind it tightly,
severely reducing his ability to either brag or eat solid
food until then.
8. Your weapon pierces the cartilage of your opponents
larynx at the upper part of the windpipe, making air
whistle out of the hole as he breathes or talks. He must
pass a Hard (-20%) WP test or drop everything and grasp
at his throat as he gasps and sputters helplessly for d10/2
turns. If he succeeds hell only count as stunned until the
end of his next turn and doesnt drop anything. Either way
hell then suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS for the
duration of the battle due to the trickles of blood trying to
run down his airways, causing him to cough up blood
constantly.
9. You stab into your opponents face, crumbling the
cheekbone and piercing the sinus behind it, opening up his
face gruesomely. Your opponent is stunned for d10 turns.
In addition hell have to pass a Challenging (-10%) T test
after 24 hours or contract an infection, which will leave
him delirious and raving for d10 days, dying unless he can
pass a second test. A successful Shallyan Cure Disease
spell will save him. If he survives his Fel will be reduced
by 5% due to ugly facial scarring.
10. You jam your weapon into your opponents ear, destroying
his hearing on that side and causing a penalty of 15% to
all hearing-related Perception tests. He counts as helpless
1.

Critical Hits - Piercing Damage

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

for d10 turns, dropping everything to clap his hands to his

ear. Due to the blade cracking the base of the skull there is
also a risk of infection as per #9 above.
You pierce one of your opponents eyes. He counts as
helpless with pain until he can pass a Hard (-20%) T test,
making his first test the turn after his next. After that hell
suffer a penalty of 20% to his WS, BS and Ag for the
duration of the battle. Also, he must permanently reduce
any BS or sight-based Perception test by half, including
any bonus from Talents such as Excellent Vision or
Sharpshooter.
Your weapon slams into your opponents cheek, piercing
the sinus and ripping into the bony orbit around one eye,
destroying it and causing risk of infection as for #9 above.
Stunning and effects for the lost eye are as for #11 above,
but also reducing Fel by 10% due to major scarring visible
even with a large patch for the eye.
Your weapon pierces your opponents throat, severing a
carotid artery in a great fan of blood as you rip your
weapon loose. Your opponent can only grasp helplessly at
his spurting neck as he falls unconscious, dying inevitably
in two turns.
Your weapon goes in through your opponents mouth,
shattering teeth, severing the tongue and finally exiting
through the back of his neck. He falls to the ground, dying
with a horrible gurgling noise as his final breath escapes
through the gore filling his mouth. Youll need to take a
half-action and pass an Easy (+20%) S test to extricate
your weapon from his spinal column.
Your weapon enters through the bridge of his nose,
spitting his head like an apple. He is dead before he hits
the ground, although his arms and legs will continue
twitching randomly for another couple of turns.
LEG:
The tip of your weapon cuts your opponents shin, the pain
causing a penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
You prick the large ligament above your opponents
kneecap. He suffers a penalty of -1 to his M and 10% to
any Dodge Blow tests until his Wound level is back to
Lightly Wounded.
Your weapon pierces two inches into the meat of your
opponents thigh, reducing his WS by a penalty of 20%
until the end of his next turn due to the agony, also causing
penalties for movement and dodging as for #2 above.
Your weapon pierces your opponents calf, lacerating the
muscle, forcing him to pass an immediate Routine (+10%)
Ag test to avoid falling down, also reducing his M by half
and any Dodge Blow tests by 10% for the duration of the
battle as his boot starts filling up with blood. After it has
been tightly bandaged the M penalty is reduced to -1 until
his W characteristic has been fully restored.
Your weapon pierces your opponents foot, sliding
between the metatarsal bones between the ankle and the
toes without causing any fractures. Your opponent falls to
the ground, stunned until the end of his next turn. He then
suffers M penalties as for #4 above.
Your weapon hits your opponent in the groin, causing
dramatic bleeding and considerable pain. He falls to the
ground, counting as stunned until the end of his next turn.
The next turn after that he can start attempting to pass an
Average T test or remain stunned, whimpering softly. He
may make another test each turn until he succeeds.
Your opponents calf is sliced open to the bone, causing a
huge gaping wound and an undignified fall to the ground,
as well as loss of consciousness in 2d10 turns unless
someone spends one full action and a successful Heal test
to staunch the heavy bleeding.
Your weapon penetrates deeply into your opponents thigh,
severing a large nerve, effectively paralysing most of the
leg, dropping your opponent to the ground as he tries to
support himself on his suddenly numb leg. Only a
successful Challenging (-10%) magical healing test will

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

restore function if performed within d10 days before

atrophy of the severed nerve has set in. Otherwise the leg
will be permanently useless. For use of crutches, see the
Blunt Damage to Leg table.
Your weapon slams into your opponents knee, splitting
the kneecap and severing some of the ligaments
connecting the bones of the upper and lower leg. Your
opponent falls to the ground, helpless until the end of his
next turn, remaining stunned until he passes a Challenging
(-10%) WP test. The leg is totally useless until the end of
the battle. Afterward, his M is halved and all Dodge Blow
tests are counted as Very Hard (-30%) from now on, due to
poor balance on a badly unstable knee. Only magical
healing can restore full function, if done within d10 days.
Even so it will count as a Hard (-20%) spell test.
Your weapon tears into the inside of your opponents
thigh, severing a large vein and causing heavy bleeding.
He will have to pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or be
stunned for d10/2 turns. After a number of turns equal to
his TB hell suffer a cumulative penalty of 5% to WS,
BS, Ag and S each turn. When any of those characteristics
reaches zero he falls unconscious. If he passes a T test the
wound will clot before he has bled out, preventing him
from expiring in another 2d10 turns.
Your weapon spears cleanly through your opponents calf,
chipping the shinbone and fracturing the fibula, the outer
of the two long bones in the lower leg, almost severing the
leg. Blood vessels and nerves are heavily damaged,
numbing the foot. Your opponent falls to the ground and is
helpless with pain for d10/2 turns, then having to pass a
Challenging (-10%) test to stay conscious despite the loss
of blood. Hell be unable to get up and the lower leg will
be permanently paralysed and useless unless magical
healing is provided within d10 days as for #8 above.
Your weapon tears into the back of your opponents knee,
severing an artery as well as tendons and nerves. Your
opponent will have to pass a Hard (-20%) WP test or pass
out. The leg will have to be amputated or gangrene will
ensue in the nearly bloodless leg within d10/2 days,
causing death in another d10 days. Successful magical
healing will save his life but not restore function to the leg.
The point of your weapon lodges in the thighbone,
cracking it as you wrench your weapon loose. Roll 1d10.
On 1-5 a fatty marrow embolus dislodges and travels
through your opponents bloodstream to his lungs where it
becomes stuck on his next turn, causing a fatal pulmonary
embolism, a massive clot in the lungs. On 6-10 the
thighbone shatters, the jagged end of it ripping apart his
femoral artery as he falls to the ground, causing blood to
fountain from the wound. Regardless of the result your
opponent falls immediately unconscious and dies
inevitably within d10/2 turns.
You drive your weapon through your opponents thigh, the
point coming out the other side before you savagely twist
the blade as you withdraw it. Blood spurts in rhythmic jets
from the severed artery. Unconsciousness is almost
immediate and death will follow in d10/2 rounds unless
magical healing is provided before that.
Your weapon drives deeply into your opponents hip,
severing major blood vessels and nerves deep within the
pelvis. He falls unconscious almost immediately, dying
inevitably d10/2 turns later in a huge pool of blood. You
have to spend a half-action withdrawing your stuck
weapon from his twitching body.

Critical Hits - Explosion & Shrapnel Damage

ARM:
A jagged piece of shrapnel grazes your target's hand,
forcing him to pass a Challenging (-10%) WS test or drop
anything held in that hand.
2. Small fragments of shrapnel pepper your target's upper
arm and shoulder. None of the fragments penetrate deeper
than the skin, but give him a penalty of -10% to WP until
the end of his next turn.
3. A large shard of shrapnel lodges in the flesh of your
target's forearm, causing him to miss one attack or free
parry on his next turn as he waves his arm frantically to
dislodge the hot piece of metal
4. A piece of shrapnel nicks your target's wrist, cutting to the
bone. No tendons or large blood vessels are damaged but
your target drops whatever he is holding in that hand and
suffers a penalty of -20% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
5. Shards of hot metal slash into your target's biceps muscle,
tearing the flesh. He suffers a penalty of -20% to WS and
-2 to SB for any attacks or parries made with that arm for
the duration of the battle. Until the pieces of shrapnel are
removed from the arm with a successful Heal test a
penalty of -10% and -1, respectively, will remain.
6. Shrapnel tears away d10/2 fingers. Effects are as for
Cutting Damage to Arm #10, except that only fingers are
lost regardless of the result, never the entire hand.
7. Shrapnel deeply embeds itself into your target's upper arm,
one large fragment lodging in the shoulder muscle next to
the bone near the shoulder joint. Until removed it will
cause a penalty of -30% to WS and -2 to SB for any
attacks or parries made with that arm. Removal will
require a successful Heal test with the Surgery Talent. A
Heal test without that Talent will count as Hard (-20%).
Failure will leave the fragment in the arm, which will
eventually heal after d10/2 weeks, embedding the
fragment in fibrous tissue, but due to the resulting stiffness
a penalty of -15% and -1, respectively, will remain.
8. A large fragment rips through the inside of your target's
elbow, severing blood vessels and damaging tendons. The
target is stunned until the end of his next round and must
then pass a Hard (-20%) WP test or drop everything to
clap his other hand around the spurting wound. If he fails
he may attempt further tests on subsequent turns to let go.
Otherwise he'll clench his arm tightly to close the wound
and continue to fight, unable to use that arm and suffering
a penalty of -10% to his WS due to being unbalanced by
the clenched arm held to his side. The arm will need to be
tightly bandaged, requiring three full turns, to stop the
bleeding. The arm will be useless until his W characteristic
is fully recovered. Some stiffness will remain, causing a
penalty of 10% to any WS tests made with that arm,
unless magically healed. Alternatively, the magical healing
can be replaced with a successful Heal test with the
Surgery Talent, halving the penalty.
9. Fragments smash into your target's shoulder, fracturing the
collarbone and tearing up some chest muscles. Your target
will be stunned for d10/2 turns and suffer a penalty of
-20% to both WS and S for any tests or blows made with
that arm until the fracture has healed in d10/2 weeks.
10. A large piece of shrapnel severs the top end of your
target's biceps from the shoulder, leaving the muscle
flopping like a big firm lump inside the skin of the arm
near his elbow. Unless the muscle is successfully stitched
back together within d10 days, requiring either magical
healing or a successful Challenging (-10%) Heal test with
the Surgery Talent plus four weeks of rest, hell suffer a
permanent penalty of 20% to WS and S for any tasks
performed with that arm in the future due to not being able
to flex the arm well.
11. Shrapnel rips through your target's upper arm, nicking a
large artery. The spurts of blood cause a cumulative
penalty of -5% to your target's WS, BS, Ag and S each
turn until it has been tightly bandaged, requiring two full
turns. A successful Hard (-20%) Ag test is also required if
1.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

he does it himself, using one hand and his teeth. Otherwise

he'll fall unconscious from loss of blood when any of
those characteristics reaches zero. The wound will clot
before he expires, however.
A blast of fragments rips the flesh from your target's
forearm and fractures one of the long bones, stunning him
for d10 turns with pain and shock at such a ghastly sight.
Only a Very Hard (-30%) magical healing spell test will
save the arm, otherwise requiring amputation.
A piece of shrapnel tears through the shoulder, ricocheting
from bone into the chest and lacerating the large bundle of
nerves supplying the arm. The arm will be permanently
paralysed and useless. Your target will have to pass an
immediate Hard (-20%) T test or fall unconscious from
shock.
A large chunk of shrapnel smashes through the collarbone
and upper ribs, bouncing against the back of the shoulderblade before severing the large artery branching off from
the aorta to the arm. A pumping spray of blood rises up
from the wound in your target's shoulder near the neck,
sending him into unconsciousness to die inevitably in a
spreading pool of blood within d10/2 turns.
A burst of shrapnel practically tears the targets arm from
its socket. Blood gushes out in huge spurts. Massive shock
and loss of blood causes instant unconsciousness and a
mercifully quick death within two turns.
BODY:
Shrapnel grazes your targets side, ripping his clothes,
making him flinch and causing a penalty of 10% to his
WS until the end of his next turn.
A jagged piece of shrapnel slices a furrow along your
targets lower ribs, soaking his clothes with blood and
causing a penalty of 20% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
A hot sliver of metal lodges in your targets flank. He
yelps and beats furiously at the offending piece of
shrapnel, trying to dislodge it, losing one attack or free
parry on his next turn.
A big piece of metal clips your targets shoulder, knocking
him to the ground but otherwise leaving him unharmed.
A chunk of shrapnel slams into your targets chest and
breaks a rib. He must make a Hard (-20%) T test or count
as stunned until the end of his next turn as he gasps for
breath. For the rest of this battle he will suffer a penalty of
5% to any parries due to the pain from the damaged chest
muscles connecting to his shoulder and upper arm.
A small fragment or pellet pierces your targets right side
just below the ribs, nicking the liver and causing internal
bleeding. He must pass a Hard (-20%) T test or be stunned
for d10/2 turns. In addition, after the battle, hell develop a
tenderness of the abdomen, which soon becomes rigidly
hard and painfully tender as your target develops
peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the membranes
covering the inside of the abdomen, forcing him to stay
bedridden and helpless with pain for d10 days, at the end
having to pass a T test or die from infection as bacteria
festers in the clotted blood in his abdomen. A successful
Shallyan Cure Disease spell will save him from the
infection.
A jagged fragment sinks deep into your targets shoulder
beneath the collarbone, knocking him to the ground,
stunning him until the end of his next turn and causing a
penalty of 20% to his WS for another d10/2 turns. Unless
the fragment is removed or a successful Shallyan Cure
Disease spell is provided hell develop an infection due to
pieces of his own clothing dragged deeply into the wound
and festering inside the shoulder, making him delirious
and helpless after d10/2 days, bringing death within
another d10 days. Unfortunately, the fragment is well
lodged deep underneath the collarbone near the top of the
lung, so removal requires a successful Heal test with the
Surgery Talent. Failure will mean the fragment remains
until a new test can be attempted the next day, but due to

Critical Hits - Explosion & Shrapnel Damage

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

1.
2.

3.
4.

further contamination of the wound, each failure reduces

the time until death from infection by one day.
Shrapnel slice into your targets groin, stunning him for
d10 turns (d10/2 if female). Afterward, the pain will cause
a penalty of 10% to all tests for the remainder of the
battle. In addition there is a 50% chance he will be
rendered permanently sterile from the injury (10% if
female).
Pellets and pieces of shrapnel tear through your targets
belly, damaging the small intestine and spilling faecal
matter into the abdominal cavity. He crumples to his
knees, hands pressed against his wound, helpless for d10
turns, subsequently suffering a penalty of 20% to all tests
due to the awful pain. In addition, he must make a Very
Hard (-30%) T test or die from infection in d10 days
(becoming delirious and helpless within one day) unless
successful magical healing, the Shallyan Cure Disease
spell or a Very Hard (-30%) Heal test with the Surgery
Talent is made within half that time. The latter involves a
very risky surgical procedure, digging deep into the
abdomen, stitching up the holes and cleaning out any foul
substances visible.
Shrapnel punctures your targets lung, making it rapidly
collapse, causing a cumulative penalty of 5% to his WS,
BS, Ag and S each turn. Hell fall unconscious when any
of those characteristics reaches zero, dying within another
2d10 turns unless magical healing is provided.
A blast of shrapnel tears large chunks of flesh from your
targets chest, exposing ribs and muscle tissue. Hell suffer
a penalty of 20% to all tests due to pain and breathing
difficulties until the injury has healed in four weeks. In
addition, afterward hell have a permanent reduction of
15% to his S due to major injury to the chest muscles
connecting to his shoulders and upper arms.
A blast of shrapnel rips into your targets flank, tearing
away muscle and flesh, some of the fragments piercing
one kidney. He is stunned for d10 turns, staring at the huge
hole in his body, then faints dead away. Internal and
external bleeding will empty the poor guy out within 2d10
turns unless magical healing is provided, counting as a
Hard (-20%) spell test.
Multiple pieces of shrapnel rips into your opponents
chest, several of them penetrating into both lungs. The
results will be as for #10 above, only with a penalty of
15% each turn, and death will occur after d10 turns.
A blast of shrapnel rips into your targets abdomen,
practically disembowelling him and spilling red ruin at his
feet. He is helpless to do anything but vainly try to gather
up his spilled intestines and stuff then back into his ruined
belly, before slumping over and dying within d10 turns.
A burst of shrapnel blasts open your targets ribcage,
ripping his heart and lungs to pieces, killing him instantly
in an explosion of gore.
HEAD:
A jagged piece of shrapnel gashes your targets cheek. He
suffers a penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his
next turn.
Small fragments pepper your targets face but miss his
eyes completely. Hell suffer a penalty of 20% to his WS
until the end of his next turn. Unless someone spends
several turns removing tiny fragments from under the skin
of his face, theyll become stuck there, small black dots
marring his face like the gunpowder flecks of a
professional gunner who might mistake the poor fellow for
a colleague.
A chunk of your targets ear is removed by a piece of
shrapnel, making him lose one attack or free parry on his
next turn as he clasps one hand to the wound.
A piece of shrapnel barely misses your targets eye, slicing
open his cheek just underneath the lower eyelid. He is
stunned until the end of his next turn.

5.
6.

7.

8.

9.

10.
11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Shrapnel lacerates your targets brow and scalp, causing

blood to flow into his eyes, as per Cutting Damage to
Head #4.
A jagged piece of shrapnel tears a furrow along your
targets jaw, exposing white bone and teeth. He is stunned
until he can pass a WP test, starting to roll on the turn after
his next. The scarring will be unattractive but will not
reduce his Fel by any significant margin, the hole closing
nicely.
Sharp shards slice away a piece of your targets nose and
upper lip. He is stunned as per #6 above, but will also have
his Fel permanently reduced by 15% due to the hideous
facial scars. However, hell gain a +10% bonus to
Intimidation tests.
A large piece of metal tears into your targets neck, barely
missing any large blood vessel but slamming forcefully
into the spine of his neck, knocking a piece of vertebra
into the spinal cord and causing a very brief paralysis of
his entire body. Your target falls to the ground like a limp
sack with a very surprised look on his still fully
functioning face, helpless until the end of his next turn.
Hell continue to lie there helpless until he passes a
Routine (+10%) T test and can start to get up. The piece of
metal is easily visible through the gaping wound on the
neck and can easily be picked out and saved as a trophy if
he survives the battle.
A blast of shrapnel glances off your targets head, lightly
concussing him and removing a palm-sized flap of his
scalp, leaving it hanging by a shred. He is stunned for d10
turns, suffering a penalty of 10% to all tests for the
remainder of the battle, due to dizziness. He will also have
a large bald spot once the skin grows back over the
wound, reducing his Fel by 1d10.
A piece of shrapnel pierces one eye, with results as for
Piercing Damage to Head #11.
A blast of shrapnel lacerates one whole side of your
targets face, leaving him shrieking and helpless for d10
turns, rolling on the ground with both hands clasped to his
face. Afterward hell suffer a penalty of 20% to all tests
for the remainder of the battle. If he survives, hell have
his Fel reduced permanently by 20%, due to massive
scarring such as large fibrous masses covering the cheek,
one eye unable to close properly, missing lips, etc. Consult
any episode of Jonah Hex for inspiration, dear GM!
A piece of the targets skull flips away, carved out by a
piece of shrapnel, leaving the brain visible through the
hole. Your target must pass a Challenging (-10%) T test or
be knocked unconscious. After the battle he must make a
Hard (-20%) T test or suffer a lethal infection, killing him
in d10/2 days unless saved by a successful Shallyan Cure
Disease spell. Should he survive, the skin will grow back
over the hole but he will have a funny depression with a
soft and sort of squishy centre on his head for the rest of
his life. If he can find a willing surgeon he might have a
metal plate put there later.
Shrapnel tears into your targets throat, damaging the
windpipe and nicking a carotid artery. The target falls to
the ground, gurgling and spitting blood, hands clasped to
his throat. He counts as helpless and will die in 2d10 turns
unless magical healing is provided. If he survives, his
voice will be distorted, weak and hoarse for the rest of his
life, reducing his Fel by 10% in any situation where clear
speech is important.
A blast of shrapnel tears away most of your unlucky
targets face, knocking him helpless to the ground to die,
gurgling and moaning, in d10 turns, leaving a distinctly
un-pretty corpse.
A large piece of shrapnel carries away the top of your
targets head. He is dead almost before hitting the ground,
and most definitely when he does, as most of his brain
sloshes out of his brainpan.

Critical Hits - Explosion & Shrapnel Damage

LEG:
Shrapnel or pellets graze your targets foot, causing a
penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
2. Fragments pierce your targets calf, causing any Dodge
Blow tests to count as Challenging (-10%) for the rest of
the battle.
3. Chunks of shrapnel strike your targets thigh, bruising but
not penetrating, forcing him to pass a Challenging (-10%)
Ag test or be knocked to the ground.
4. A piece of shrapnel painfully lodges in your targets
kneecap. The target is stunned until the end of his next
turn and must pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or drop
his weapon to clasp his knee.
5. Pieces of shrapnel tear several long, shallow furrows along
your targets hip. Distracted by the pain and forced to
guard his injured side, your target is at 10% to all tests
for d10 turns.
6. A pellet lodges inside your targets knee, forcing him to
make a Hard (-20%) Ag test or fall down. Hell suffer a
penalty of 2 to his M and 20% to all Dodge Blow tests
until it is removed, either by magical healing or a
successful Hard (-20%) Heal test with the Surgery Talent.
If the latter is used, the target must pass a Challenging
(-10%) T test or suffer an infection that will force
amputation unless a successful Shallyan Cure Disease
spell is performed. If the infection goes untreated and the
leg remains attached, gangrene and sepsis will occur
within d10/2 days, causing death within another TB days.
7. A sharp fragment lacerates your targets inner thigh near
the groin, stunning him for d10/2 turns. If male, he must
also pass an Average T test or be emasculated for the rest
of his life.
8. A blast of shrapnel tears away chunks of flesh from your
targets calf, causing gaping wounds and fracturing the
fibula, the outer of the two long bones in the lower leg,
forcing him to pass a Hard (-20%) Ag test or fall to the
ground. Your targets M will be reduced to 1 as he hobbles
along, counting any Dodge Blow tests as Very Hard
(-30%) until the end of the battle. A combination of
infection, severed blood vessels and just plain, massive
loss of tissue means the leg will never heal properly,
giving a permanent penalty of 2 to M and 20% to any
Dodge Blow tests.
9. Shrapnel shreds your targets knee, utterly destroying the
kneecap and penetrating into the joint, shredding bone and
ligaments as it goes along. He falls to the ground,
screaming and stunned for d10 turns. Unless magical
healing is provided within d10 days, the leg will have to
be amputated. Otherwise itll still be stiff and unbending,
causing permanent penalties as per #8 above.
10. A large piece of shrapnel pierces your targets thigh,
tearing out of the back of the leg in a spray of blood,
leaving a huge flap of muscle gruesomely flapping. The
blast knocks him to the ground, unable to get up. Loss of
blood will cause a cumulative 5% to WS, BS, Ag and S
each turn, the target falling unconscious when any of those
characteristics reaches zero. Unless the leg is tightly
bandaged, requiring someone elses help and three full
turns, death will occur within another 2d10 turns.
11. Fragments tear into the hip joint, causing nerve damage
that leaves the whole leg limp and useless, totally
paralysed. Your target falls to the ground, stunned for d10
turns and unable to get up. Two crutches will be necessary
to get around properly in the future, unless he wants to hop
around on one leg.
12. An utterly hideous storm of fragments tears across your
targets upper thigh near the hip joint, ripping apart his
genitals and laying the thigh open to the bone. The target
is helpless with pain and shock for d10 turns, gaining one
extra IP as a result of the view of his mangled leg and
groin, should he survive. Loss of blood will mean he loses
unconsciousness after an additional d10 turns, and will
suffer a penalty of 30% to all tests until he does. Only
very limited function will remain to the leg afterward,
1.

reducing M to 1 and causing all Dodge Blow tests to count

as Very Hard (-30%), although he can use crutches as per
Bullet Damage to Leg #10.
13. A jagged piece of metal lays open your targets inner
thigh, severing the femoral artery. The huge spurts of
bright, red blood will cause a cumulative penalty of 10%
to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, the target falling
unconscious when any of those characteristics reaches
zero. Unless magically healed or rapidly aided by a
pressure bandage, requiring a Very Hard (-30%) Heal test
and two full turns, death will occur within another d10
turns.
14. A blast of shrapnel blows the leg off at the knee, leaving it
hanging by a shred. Your target falls to the ground,
helpless and with blood spurting from the stump. Death
occurs from loss of blood within d10 turns unless magical
healing or a tourniquet, requiring two full turns and
someone elses help, is provided, neither of which will
save the leg.
15. A blast of shrapnel nearly tears the leg out of its socket,
leaving a gaping hole with the thighbone and spurting
arteries clearly visible. Your target falls immediately
unconscious from shock, dying inevitably in d10/2 turns.

Critical Hits Unarmed Combat Damage

ARM
1.

You manage to momentarily grab your opponents arm, making him lose one attack or free parry during his next turn
before slipping out of your grasp.
2. You slam a fist into your opponents shoulder, shocking his
arm, causing him to suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS until
the end of his next turn.
3. You bruise your opponents upper arm, causing him to
flinch. He may not perform any attack actions on his next
turn.
4. You manage to grab whatever your opponent is holding in
that hand. Make an opposed S test, your opponent gaining a
+20% bonus to his S if he is holding a shield or a twohanded weapon. If you beat him you have snatched it away
and are now in possession of it. Weapons that are mostly
blade, such as swords or knives, are much harder to grab,
requiring a successful Hard (-20%) Ag test first. If you fail,
or if your opponent is holding nothing in that hand, the result
is as per #1 above.
5. You slam an elbow, fist or booted foot into your opponents
biceps, bruising the muscle, causing a penalty of 10% to his
WS and S for any tests or blows using that arm for the duration of the combat.
6. You manage to grab and badly twist your opponents wrist,
making him drop whatever he is holding in that hand. If he is
holding nothing, then he is unable to use that hand for attacking and may not attempt to grapple for the next two
turns.
7. You smack your opponent in the elbow, hitting a nerve,
sending a shock of sharp pain down the arm, making him
drop anything held in that hand. Hell have to pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or be stunned until the end of his
next turn. The arm is paralysed and useless for d10/2 turns.
8. You get hold of one of your opponents fingers, bending it
backward savagely until the bone snaps. Your opponent
counts as stunned until the end of his next turn and must pass
a WP test each time he wants to perform any action with that
hand for the duration of the battle. Setting the finger straight
again and tying it to a small splint or a neighbouring finger is
painful but easy, but your opponent will still suffer a penalty
of 10% to any tasks, attacks or parries due to pain and
swelling until the bone has started to heal properly in two
weeks.
9. You hit your opponents hand, fracturing a couple of the
metacarpals, the bones between wrist and fingers, a classical
boxers fracture usually caused by punching something
hard. The hand is useless until the bones have started healing
properly in two weeks.
10. You slam your opponent in the junction between neck and
shoulder with a vicious chop, breaking the collarbone. Your
opponent is stunned until the end of his next turn and then
suffers a penalty of 20% to any tests made with that arm
until the fracture has healed in three weeks.
11. You smash your opponent with a mighty blow, dislocating
the shoulder from its socket. Your opponent is stunned until
he can pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test, getting one attempt at the beginning of each of his turns. The whole arm is
useless until popped back into place with a successful Heal
test, afterward suffering a penalty of 20% to all tests performed with that arm until it has started to heal in one week,
halving the penalty for another week before being restored to
full function.
12. You snap your opponents wrist, making the hand stand out
at an odd angle. He must pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test
or be stunned for d10/2 turns. The hand is useless until the
bones have healed in three weeks. Unless the wrist has been
properly set with a successful Heal test within the first week,

he will then suffer a penalty of -10% to WS tests or tests

requiring fine manipulation performed with that hand afterward due to improperly set bones. Magical healing will
automatically do this, as well as speeding up the healing
process, ignoring the month required.
13. You lock your opponents arm in a strong grip and then either twist it forcefully or bring up a knee to slam into the
elbow joint, snapping the elbow with a loud crack. Your
opponent is stunned for d10/2 turns and the arm useless until
the fracture has healed in four weeks.
14. You grab your opponents arm and twist around, throwing
him across your hip. He lands heavily, knocked down and
stunned for d10 turns. His shoulder is also dislocated as per
#11 above.
15. As your opponent swings at you, you grab his arm and use
his momentum to drag him toward you, and then roll backward as you put a foot in his stomach, hurling him over your
head. He must pass a Hard (-20%) Ag test or break his neck
as he lands, killing him. If he passes he is still knocked unconscious. If the GM judges that such a throw is completely
unlikely, such as if he very considerably outweighs you, or
has a very low centre of gravity (think Dwarf in plate!), or
your legs are crippled, then you instead manage to get him
so off balance that he is still hurled to the ground and
knocked unconscious, perhaps tripping him up as he stumbles past you.

BODY
1.

Your opponent staggers backward and may not perform any

attack actions during his next turn.
2. A blow to the ribs just underneath the armpit staggers your
opponent, causing him to suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS
until the end of his next turn.
3. You viciously chop at your opponents collarbone, failing to
break it but causing him enough pain to suffer a penalty of
20% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
4. You slam your opponent to the floor, knocking him down.
5. A solid punch to the solar plexus slams the breath from your
opponents body, stunning him until the end of his next turn.
6. The sound of ribs creaking accompanies the whoosh of your
opponents forcefully expelled breath as you knock him to
the ground, stunned until the end of his next turn.
7. You break a rib in your opponents side, causing him a penalty of 10% to all tests for the duration of the battle. The
blow will also have caused a minor bleeding in the kidney of
that side, badly scaring your opponent the next time he needs
to relieve his bladder, as the urine takes on a deep red tinge.
8. You go straight for your opponents groin in a manner most
unfitting for a gentleman, stunning him for d10 turns as he
gasps in agony. If your opponent is female or wearing a Plate
Breastplate with reasonable groin protection (GMs call but
usually included, at least if part of a full suit of plate), halve
the number of turns.
9. A powerful blow to the chest stuns your opponent until the
end of his next turn and makes his heart start beating irregularly. At the beginning of his next turn after that hell have to
pass a Routine (+10%) T test to regain his normal rhythm or
fall unconscious, in which case hell wake up again in d10
minutes as his heartbeat stabilizes. If successful, hell suffer
no further ill effects.
10. You savagely slam your fist or knee repeatedly against your
opponents side over and over again, breaking several of his
ribs and contusing the lung. He falls to the ground, spitting
blood, helpless until the end of his next turn, all breath
driven from his body. He then suffers a penalty of 20% to
all actions for the duration of the combat. After the battle
hell suffer a penalty of 10% to his WS, BS, Ag and S from
Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, found at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Unarmed Combat Damage

11.

12.
13.

14.

15.

the pain of fractured ribs grinding against each other, until

his W characteristic is fully restored as his ribs slowly heal.
You fracture several of the lower ribs on your opponents
right side, the sharp fragments driving into his body and
lacerating his liver. He is stunned for d10/2 turns and then
suffers a penalty of 15% to all actions for the duration of
the combat. Hell also have to pass a Challenging (-10%) T
test or suffer serious internal bleeding. If successful, hell
only suffer a penalty of 10% to WS, BS, Ag and S from the
pain of fractured ribs grinding against each other, until his W
characteristic is fully restored as his ribs slowly heal. Otherwise hell also suffer an additional cumulative penalty of an
extra 5% per hour after the battle, falling unconscious when
any of those characteristics reaches zero. Fortunately, the
bleeding will stop spontaneously thereafter and hell regain
his characteristics at a rate of 10% per day (not counting the
10% penalty from the pain of the broken ribs) as his body
replenishes the lost blood.
A vicious blow to your opponents left side stuns him until
the end of his next turn and ruptures his spleen. The longerterm results are as for Blunt Damage to Body #6.
You pick your opponent up bodily and slam him into the
ground. Hell have to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or be
knocked unconscious. If successful, hell count as knocked
down and stunned for d10/2 turns. If the GM judges that this
result is unlikely, even with the extra strength brought on by
a surge of adrenaline, such as if your opponent is an Ogre or
otherwise severely outweighs you, your opponent nevertheless still is thrown badly off balance and ends up on the
floor, knocked down and counting as stunned for d10/2
turns.
You slam either your fist or the heel of your foot into the
upper part of your opponent's solar plexus, snapping the
lower part of his breastbone. The fragment drives into his
chest, lacerating the diaphragm muscles that he breathes
with. He falls helplessly to his knees, gasping and helpless
for d10 turns until he keels over unconscious. He'll have to
pass a Hard (-20%) T test or die in another 2d10 turns, otherwise suffering a permanent reduction of -15% to S and T
due to reduced breathing capacity. If your opponent is wearing a breastplate he is instead hurled backwards, hitting his
head as he lands, laying him out cold but otherwise very
much alive and unhurt.
You grab you opponent and with irresistible force slam him
down on his back across your knee, breaking his spine. He
must pass an immediate Very Hard (-30%) T test or die on
the spot, otherwise becoming permanently paralysed from
the waist down and counting as helpless from shock for the
duration of the combat. If your opponent is wearing a Plate
Breastplate with a backplate (GM's call but usually included,
especially if part of a full suit of plate), then you would not
be so foolish as to attempt this stunt and end up with a broken knee; count the result as #13 instead.

5.
6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

HEAD
1.
2.
3.
4.

A glancing punch to the face causes your opponent to stumble backward. He may not perform any attack actions on his
next turn.
A blow to the side of your opponents head momentarily
disorients him, causing a penalty of 10% to his WS until
the end of his next turn.
A vicious punch crumples your opponents cheekbone, causing a penalty of 20% to his WS until the end of his next
turn.
You jam a finger up your opponents nostril, tearing the sensitive flesh as you savagely rip the finger out, stunning your
opponent until the end of his next turn.

14.

15.

You slam a blow against your opponents ear, stunning him

until the end of his next turn and reducing by half any
hearing-related Perception tests for the rest of the day.
You badly rip one of your opponents ears, almost tearing it
off. The pain forces him to pass an Average WP test or be
stunned until the end of his next turn. The dangling ear distracts him so badly he suffers a penalty of 5% to his WS for
the duration of the battle. It might heal a bit crooked but not
badly enough to cause any permanent reduction of Fel.
A blow to the mouth fractures several teeth. Your opponent
is stunned until the end of his next turn and must then pass
an Average WP test to recover, beginning to roll at the start
of his next turn after that. Unless he already has missing or
unsightly teeth (GMs call), his Fel is permanently reduced
by 5%.
You punch your opponent in the throat, momentarily cutting
off his airways as the windpipe spasms. He suffers a penalty
of 15% to all tests until the end of his next turn, reducing
the penalty to 10% the turn after that, finally reducing it to
5% for one final turn before fully recovering.
A powerful punch mashes one side of your opponents face,
giving him a magnificent black eye and fracturing the
cheekbone. He must pass a Routine (+10%) T test or be
knocked unconscious. If he is wearing a helmet with decent
face protection (GMs call) the test counts as Easy (+20%)
instead. If successful, he is instead knocked to the ground.
Regardless, his Fel is reduced by 5% until the swelling and
bruising has gone away in two weeks.
You headbutt your opponent, mashing his nose. He is
stunned for d10/2 turns as he sees stars and flashes. He'll
develop two lovely shiners, reducing his Fel by -10% until
the swelling and bruising has gone away in two weeks. If
you are wearing a helmet and your opponent is not, add +1
turn to his stunning. If he is wearing a helmet and you are
not, halve the number of turns.
A powerful blow to your opponents chin breaks the jaw in
several places. He must pass a Challenging (-10%) T test or
be knocked unconscious. If successful, he is stunned for d10/
2 turns and then suffers a penalty of 10% to all actions for
the duration of the battle. The jaw will have to be wired or
tightly bandaged to heal, forcing your opponent to eat
through a straw, also suffering a penalty of 15% to his Fel
in any situation where it is important that he is heard clearly,
for three weeks.
You gouge one of your opponents eyes. He must pass a
Challenging (-10%) T test or lose the eye permanently, reducing by half all BS and sight-related Perception tests, including any bonus from Talents such as Excellent Vision or
Sharpshooter. Regardless, he is helpless with pain for d10
turns and then suffers a penalty of 15% to all tests for the
duration of the combat.
You badly pummel your opponents head, fracturing his
skull and causing bleeding inside his brain. He falls immediately unconscious and remains in a coma for d10 days. Afterward he must pass a Challenging (-10%) T test or die,
otherwise waking up with a penalty of 30% to WS, BS, Ag
and Int, reducing the penalty by 10% per week until it stands
at 10%, which is sadly permanent due to brain-damage.
You crush your opponents windpipe, crumpling the cartilage of his larynx. He is stunned for TB turns before falling
unconscious for lack of air, dying within another d10 turns
unless saved by magical healing.
You break your opponents neck, either with a mighty blow
snapping his head back or by grabbing him by chin and the
back of his head, violently twisting until a loud crack is
heard. Death is instantaneous.

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, found at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Unarmed Combat Damage

LEG
1.

A glancing blow hits your opponents shin, the pain causing

a penalty of 10% to his WS until the end of his next turn.
2. You strike your opponent on the inside of his thigh, barely
missing his groin. He is knocked off balance and may not
perform any attack actions on his next turn.
3. A vicious blow against your opponents hip fails to break
anything but causes him enough pain to reduce his WS by
20% until the end of his next turn.
4. You stomp down hard on your opponents toes. He counts as
stunned until the end of his next turn as he jumps up and
down, wailing and cursing.
5. You sweep your opponents leg, knocking him to the ground
unless he can pass a Hard (-20%) Ag test. If successful, he
may not perform any attack actions on his next turn.
6. A powerful blow slams into your opponents hip, spinning
him around and knocking him to the ground, dazed and
stunned until the end of his next turn.
7. You badly bruise your opponents thigh. He suffers a penalty
of 1 to his M and counts all Dodge Blow tests as Challenging (-10%) for the duration of the battle.
8. You strike a telling blow to your opponents knee. He must
pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test or count as stunned for
d10/2 turns. If successful, his M is halved and he counts all
Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%) for an equal amount of
time.
9. You slam your heel down hard on your opponents foot,
breaking some of the metatarsals, the bones between the
ankle and the toes. Your opponent is stunned until he can
pass a Challenging (-10%) WP test, getting his first attempt
at the beginning of his next turn, re-rolling each turn until he
succeeds. The pain from the broken bones halves his M and
makes all Dodge Blow tests count as Hard (-20%) until the
bones have healed in three weeks. Unless properly set with a
successful Heal test during the first week, the bones will heal
badly, causing a permanent penalty of 1 to M and making
all future Dodge Blow tests count as Challenging (-10%).
Magical healing will correct this, as well as ignore the time
required to heal the bones.
10. You break your opponents ankle, knocking him to the
ground. He is stunned for d10/2 turns and cannot use the leg
until the fracture has healed in three weeks. If the ankle is
not correctly set with a successful Heal test within the first
week, it will heal crookedly and permanently reduce your
opponents M by -1.
11. Your blow pops your opponents kneecap, making it stand
out like a bump underneath the skin to one side of the knee.
This is extremely painful and effectively locks the joint.
Your opponent falls to the ground and is stunned for d10
turns, afterward being unable to use the leg and suffering a
penalty of 20% to all tests until the kneecap is popped back
into place. This requires a successful Heal test, and probably
a couple of strong helpers to hold the screaming patient
down as the healer performs this very painful manoeuvre. (If
your opponent is wearing Plate Leggings, this is an unlikely
result and the hit instead counts as #8 above.)
12. You slam a powerful blow into the side of your opponents
knee, bending the knee inwards in a most painful and unnatural manner, popping something inside the joint. Ligaments inside the knee have snapped, making the joint unstable. Your opponent is stunned for d10/2 turns and then suffers a penalty 10% to all tests for the duration of the combat, as well as suffering a permanent penalty of 2 to M and
counting all Dodge Blow tests as Hard (-20%) from now on.
Only magical healing can restore full function to the leg.

13. A brutal kick to your opponents groin doubles him over,

retching and helpless with pain for d10 turns. In addition,
hell suffer a penalty of 10% to all tests for the duration of
the battle and will have to pass a Challenging (-10%) T test
or have his testicles ruptured, making him permanently sterile. If your opponent is female or wearing a Plate Breastplate
with reasonable groin protection (GMs call but usually included, at least if part of a full suit of plate), ignore this and
simply count your opponent as stunned for d10 turns.
14. You manage to dislocate your opponents hip and break off a
fragment of the part of the pelvic bone forming the cup
holding the head of the thighbone in place against the pelvis,
leaving him screaming in agony on the ground. Hell have to
pass an Average T test or fall unconscious from the pain. If
successful, he suffers a penalty of 30% to all tests for the
duration of the battle, the penalty reduced by one third per
week of rest. Regardless, the leg is useless and will probably
never heal properly. M is permanently reduced to 1 and all
Dodge Blow tests count as Very Hard (-30%) from now on.
Proper healing will require either two months in traction,
lying in bed with the leg held up and stretched by weights,
under supervision of someone with the Surgery Talent, or
magical healing, the latter counting as a Hard (-20%) spell
test due to damage to nerves and small blood vessels supplying the joint.
15. You shatter your opponents shinbone, fragments spearing
through the skin. Your opponent falls to the ground, helpless
and blind with pain for d10 turns, then suffering a penalty of
20% to all tests for the remainder of the battle. Such an
open fracture is very serious, almost always resulting in
gangrene and infection. He'll have to pass a Hard (-20%) T
test or suffer infection within d10 days, causing death in
another d10 days unless amputation is performed. A successful Shallyan Cure Disease spell will save his life but the leg
will remain useless unless magically healed, which will require a Hard (-20%) spell test due to the mess of bone
shards, damaged nerves and blood vessels inside the leg. (If
your opponent is wearing Plate Leggings, this result is very
unlikely and the hit instead counts as #12 above.)

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, found at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Winged Damage

1.

Wing is buffeted. The creature may not perform any attack

actions on its next turn as it stumbles backward or, if airborne, staggers in the air.
2. Wing takes a glancing blow. The creature suffers a penalty of
10% to all tests until the end of its next turn.
3. Wing-muscles are bruised. The creature suffers a penalty of
20% to all tests until the end of its next turn.
4. Wing is badly buffeted. If airborne, the creature loses one
half-action and must pass a Routine (+10%) Ag test or lose
one level of altitude as it flaps its wings madly to regain lost
air. If on the ground, count as #3 instead, plus it cannot take
off during its next turn.
5. Feathers are torn off or a wing membrane ripped. Flying
speed is reduced by . The creature must pass a Challenging
(-10%) Ag test or lose one level of altitude. If on the ground,
it cannot take off during its next turn. The damage will heal
naturally in three weeks, whereupon full flying speed is restored.
6. As #5 except flying speed is halved and Ag test is Hard
(-20%).
7. A large blood vessel in the wing has been nicked. The creature will suffer a cumulative penalty of 5% to WS, BS, Ag
and S every second turn, falling unconscious when any of
those characteristics reaches zero. Fortunately, the bleeding
will then stop spontaneously, preventing the creature from
bleeding out completely.
8. Wing badly torn. If on the ground, creature counts as
stunned. The creature will lose one level of altitude per turn
until it reaches the ground, whereupon it must pass an Average Ag test or take falling damage as if falling from 3 yards
up, possibly resulting in another Critical Hit to a random
location. Since no Falling Damage chart exists yet, it is suggested the GM counts any 1-5 result as stunning for that
number of turns regardless of location; any 6-10 result to a
limb as a broken limb rendering the limb useless and requiring four weeks to heal; any 6-10 result to body or head as
immediate unconsciousness; any 11-15 result to a limb as a
really bad fracture requiring either magical or surgical healing to avoid amputation; and any 11-15 result to head or
body as instant death. Regardless, flying speed is reduced to
0 for three weeks, and then halved for another three weeks,
whereupon full flying speed is restored.
9. As #8 except creature will lose two levels of altitude per
turn, Ag test will count as Hard (-20%) and failure will count
as falling from 9 yards up. If on the ground, creature will
also count as stunned for d10/2 turns.
10. Wing incapacitated and several of its bones broken. If airborne, the creature will fall out of the air, taking falling damage as appropriate. Flying speed is reduced to 0. Unless set
with either a successful Challenging (-10%) Heal test or a
successful Very Hard (-30%) Animal Care test, the wing is
permanently useless. Otherwise itll regain half its flying
speed in three weeks, and full speed in another three. If on
the ground, creature counts as stunned for d10/2 turns.
11. As #10 except wing is permanently useless due to damage to
nerves and major tendons.
12. As #11 except large blood vessels have been severed, causing bleeding that will make the creature suffer a cumulative
penalty of 5% to WS, BS, Ag and S each turn, falling unconscious when any of those characteristics reaches zero.
Unless the bleeding is stopped with a successful Heal test,
which will take two turns and also require a successful Animal Care test to calm it down (if the creature is intelligent
and cooperative, no such test is required) before the attempt
can be made, the creature will die from loss of blood in another 2d10 turns.

13. Wing severed completely at the middle joint. If airborne,

creature will fall out of the air, taking falling damage as
appropriate. Due to bleeding, it will suffer bleeding as per
#12 except at a rate of 10% per turn, dying within d10 turns
after falling unconscious.
14. Wing severed near the body. If airborne, creature will fall out
of the air, taking falling damage as appropriate. It falls immediately unconscious from shock and loss of blood, dying
inevitably within d10 turns.
15. The attack drives into the wing joint and on into the torso,
piercing lung and heart, killing the creature immediately.
Note: It is assumed any rider will be seated in an appropriate saddle
made especially for an airborne mount, strapping him securely to it
and preventing him from falling regardless of the mounts antics. If
unsaddled or not properly strapped in, any rider will have to pass a
Ride test at the same penalty as his mount any time it is required to do
an Ag test due to a Critical Hit or fall off, suffering falling damage as
appropriate.
Additional note: If the creatures BS is 0 and it suffers a hit causing
penalties to BS from bleeding, simply ignore it. It does not fall unconscious immediately since it effectively lacks this characteristic.

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, found at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Leg Damage for Quadrupeds

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

A near miss causes a minor scratch and makes the creature shy
away. It may not make any attack actions on its next turn.
A glancing blow makes the creature stagger, suffering a penalty
of 10% to all tests until the end of its next turn. Any rider must
pass a Routine (+10%) Ride test or suffer the same.
As #2 except the penalty is 20% and the Ride test Challenging
(-10%).
A painful wound makes the creature rear up, missing a half-action
on its next turn. Any rider must pass a Ride test or be thrown. *
The creatures shoulder is lacerated, making it count as stunned
until the end of its next turn.
A muscle of the upper leg is torn, reducing the creatures M by
and making any Dodge Blow tests (if the creature possesses this
skill) count as Challenging (-10%) until it is healed back to
Lightly Wounded.
A painful hit to the lower leg makes the creature limp badly, suffering a reduction of M by half, counting any Dodge Blow tests
(if the creature possesses this skill) as Challenging (-10%) for the
duration of the battle. Any rider will be badly distracted by the
limping gait of his mount, requiring a successful Ride test to remain unaffected, otherwise suffering a penalty of 10% to his WS
while he remains mounted.
The blow knocks the creature to the ground. Any rider will have
to pass a Challenging (-10%) Ride test or be thrown. * The creature will have to pass a Challenging (-10%) Ag test or be stunned
until the end of its next turn by the rough fall.
A blow to the lower leg makes the creature stagger badly. It
counts as stunned until the end of its next turn and suffers a reduction of its M by half as well as counting any Dodge Blow tests
(if the creature possesses this skill) as Hard (-20%). Any rider will
be badly distracted by the limping gait of his mount, suffering a
penalty of 10% to his WS while he remains mounted. The penalty remains until the creatures W characteristic is fully restored.
The attack badly injures the creatures leg, making it stumble.
Any rider will have to make a Challenging (-10%) Ride test to
remain mounted. * The creature is stunned for d10/2 turns and
can only limp along on three legs at M, counting any Dodge
Blow tests (if the creature possesses this skill) as Very Hard
(-30%). Any rider will be badly distracted by the limping gait of
his mount, suffering a penalty of 10% to his WS while he remains mounted. The creature will need medical attention to properly heal, requiring either a successful Challenging (-10%) Heal
test or a Hard (-20%) Animal Care test (representing rough
veterinary-style care). In that case it will regain its M at a rate of
per two weeks (reducing the Dodge Blow penalty at a rate of
one level per two weeks as well), otherwise the penalty will be
permanent.
The strike severely damages the creatures leg, knocking it violently to the ground, stunned for d10/2 turns. Any rider will have
to pass a Hard (-20%) Ride test or be thrown badly, taking a
Damage 2 hit. The injury will require magical healing or be permanent, reducing M to as the creature limps along on three
legs, counting any Dodge Blow tests (if the creature possesses
this skill) as Very Hard (-30%). Any rider will be badly distracted
by the limping gait of his mount, suffering a penalty of 10% to
his WS while he remains mounted.
The blow severs the creatures leg at the knee, sending it crashing
to the ground with results as per #11 above except that no healing
is possible to restore the leg. In addition, there is a 20% chance
each turn the creature will fall unconscious from loss of blood.
The hit bites deeply into the creatures leg at the thigh, making
blood spurt from a severed artery. The creature staggers, stunned
until the end of its next turn. It will suffer a cumulative penalty of
10% to WS, BS (if it has a BS of more than 0, otherwise ignoring any penalty to that characteristic), Ag and S, falling unconscious when any of those characteristics reaches zero. Unless
bleeding is stopped with magical healing or a successful Heal

test, it will then die within another d10 turns from loss of blood.
The Heal test will require two turns, as well as a successful Animal Care test to first calm the creature unless it is sentient and
cooperative. If magically healed, function is restored; otherwise
the useless remains of the leg will have to be amputated.
14. The strike practically severs the creatures leg at the hip, causing
it to fall unconscious immediately. It will die inevitably in a
spreading pool pf blood within d10 turns. Any rider will have to
pass a Challenging (-10%) Ride test to dismount cleanly or be
thrown violently, suffering a Damage 3 hit.
15. The blow drives deeply into the hip and on into the creatures
body, severing major blood vessels and damaging internal organs.
Death is almost instantaneous from shock and bleeding. Any rider
will have to pass a Challenging (-10%) Ride test to dismount
cleanly or be thrown violently, suffering a Damage 3 hit.
* If the mount is a Light Warhorse or Destrier (or equivalent mount of
war), it is assumed any saddle is a war-saddle specially made to seat a
rider safely. Such a saddle gains the rider a bonus of +20% to any Ride
tests to stay in the saddle.

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, found at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Large Monsters

Definition of Large Monster:
To be defined as a Large Monster, the creature must be larger than a man, have a TB of at least 4 and a W characteristic of at least 25. This includes
such creatures as Ogres, Trolls, Rat Ogres and Minotaurs, but not tough but basically human-sized creatures such as Vampires.
Modifiers to the Critical Result:
The result is modified by 1 for every point of TB over 5 the creature possesses. In addition, it is also reduced by 1 for every multiple (or fraction
thereof) of 10 Wounds the creature possesses above 30 at its full characteristic. This is thus calculated before taking into account any Wounds suffered in battle or through other means. The creature will be at 0 Wounds when taking the critical hit, but this is ignored for the purpose of modifying
the result.
Example: An Ogre has a TB of 4 and a W characteristic of 24; this is below TB5 and W30, meaning the result is not modified. A Dragon has a TB of
6 and a W characteristic of 55, meaning the critical result is modified by 1 for its one points of TB over 5, and by 3 for its 25 Wounds over 30,
meaning the total modifier will be 4, making this creature extremely difficult to kill.
(At the GMs option, a Bretonnian character with the Virtue of Heroism may ignore these modifiers, counting all critical results at their unmodified
value.)
Use the Special Large Monster Main Chart below for any critical hits on a Large Monster rather than the usual main chart. Any final result of less
than 1 after modifiers counts as 1. Any final result of 16 or more counts as 15. The Large Monster Main Chart also differs from the ordinary main
chart in that the Critical Value is not limited to +10, since some extremely large and tough monsters would conceivably need multiple extra dice from
successive Ulrics Fury results before taking a critical hit with a Critical Value high enough to have a reasonable chance of killing it. Therefore, when
a critical hit is made with a Critical Value of more than +10, look at the +10 Critical Value column, roll 1d100 as usual and then add +1 to the result
for each point of Critical Value above 10.
If the Large Monster has wings, it is suggested the table for Wing Damage is used but the result be determined by the Large Monster special main
chart with modifiers as above. Likewise, if the monster is a quadruped mount, it is suggested the Quadruped Leg table is used.
Additional points regarding the Large Monster Chart:
This chart makes it very hard to kill off Large Monsters. This is intentional. My other charts are intended mainly for humans with all their frailties,
not a huge nasty monster where you can hack off bits and pieces without the monster really noticing until it either keels over or runs out of limbs to
attack with. This particular chart is for GMs who dont like to see their scary Minotaur receive one measly crit from a lucky PC, becoming so incapacitated from it that the rest of the fight looks more like a Japanese chef doing things to a helpless sushi fish. Like the Wing and Quadruped Leg
damage charts, it is rather generic in nature with regard to the type of attack causing the injury, so the GM must be prepared to fudge the results a
little if the monster was fried by a fireball rather than hit with a sword or arrow. The charts is also less detailed in regard to the nature and long-term
effects of injury, representing the uncertainties of monster anatomy and a large monsters unnatural resilience and imperviousness to pain as well as
the fact that monsters rarely have access to advanced medical care.

#
01-07
08-14
15-21
22-28
29-35
36-42
43-49
50-56
57-63
64-70
71-76
77-82
83-88
89-94
95-00

+1
1
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

+2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Large Monster Critical Result Main Chart

+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+8
1
2
3
4
5
6
2
3
4
5
6
7
3
4
5
6
7
8
4
5
6
7
8
9
5
6
7
8
9
10
6
7
8
9
10
11
7
8
9
10
11
12
8
9
10
11
12
13
9
10
11
12
13
14
10
11
12
13
14
15
11
12
13
14
15
16
12
13
14
15
16
17
13
14
15
16
17
18
14
15
16
17
18
19
15
16
17
18
19
20

+9
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

+10
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

>>
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Large Monsters

ARM
(An arm for a large monster, depending on its anatomy, is counted as
any limb used for manipulation that is not necessary for its movement.
Thus, a Dragon using its front limbs for both movement and manipulation but which is quite capable of moving around on its hindquarters,
would count a hit on a front limb as an Arm hit rather than a Leg hit.)
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.

9.
10.

11.

12.

13.

You barely scratch the thick hide of the monster; no effect.

You open up a painful furrow in the monsters thick hide, causing
it to suffer a penalty of 10% to its WS until the end of its next
turn.
Your blow sinks into the monsters flesh at its shoulder. It roars
with fury at the pain, losing one Attack on its next turn.
Your strike bites into the monsters huge paw, discomforting and
angering it. If your blow was struck in close combat, your
weapon sticks and you may not perform any further attacks or
parries with it until it is dislodged. On its next turn, the monster
yanks its limb away, dislodging the weapon but losing one halfaction while doing so. If the weapon was of Poor craftsmanship it
breaks.
Your weapon sinks into the soft flesh of the monsters palm, the
intense pain causing it to suffer a penalty of 20% to its WS until
the end of its next turn.
The monster loses the last joint of one of its fingers, causing it to
lose one half-action as it waves it huge paw in the air, screaming
with rage.
You gash open the monsters forearm, causing hot, dark, steaming
blood to spurt from the wound. The monster loses two Attacks on
its next turn as it howls with pain.
You pierce the monsters shoulder, causing your weapon to become stuck as per #4 above. The strike has severed enough
corded muscle and huge tendons to make the monster lose one
attack until the injury has healed in six minus TB months (a
minimum of one month). If the monster only had a single Attack
it can still use it but must halve its WS until healed.
The monster staggers from the blow. If needs to pass an Average
Ag test or be knocked down. Otherwise it loses one half-action as
it struggles to keep its feet.
Your attack pierces a large joint. The monster is stunned until the
end of its next turn and loses one Attack permanently. If the monster only had a single Attack it can still use it but must halve
(rounding up) its WS and SB permanently.
Your blow almost severs the monsters hand, with results as per
#10 above. In addition, due to loss of blood, it must pass an Easy
(+20%) T test next turn or halve its SB (rounding up). If successful, it merely loses one point of SB. Any lost points of SB will be
regained at a rate of one point per week if the monster survives
the battle.
Your weapon becomes stuck, deeply embedded in the monsters
shoulder. Withdrawing it requires a half-action and a successful
Hard (-20%) S test by either you or the monster. Until removed,
the monster suffers a penalty of 20% to all tests and loses two
Attacks (although only one Attack will be lost if the monster had
an A characteristic of only 1 or 2) from the intense pain and discomfort. Once withdrawn, the penalty is reduced to 10% to WS
and 1 to A until the shoulder has healed in six minus TB months
(although a minimum of one month). If your attack was performed with a projectile weapon, simply count the weapon as
dislodged from the very start.
You manage to practically sever the monsters arm at the elbow,
making it lose two Attacks for the duration of the battle (although
only one Attack will be lost if the monster had an A characteristic
of only 1 or 2), one of the lost Attacks being permanent as per
#10 above. In addition, due to loss of blood, it suffers a 20% risk
of falling unconscious each turn. If it passes five turns without
passing out, the bleeding stops and it is no longer in risk of falling
unconscious but must halve its SB (rounding up), regaining it at

one point per week if it survives the battle.

14. Your attack has deeply penetrated the monsters shoulder, driving
on into its chest, piercing vital organs. The monster suffers a cumulative penalty of 10% to its WS and S each turn, falling unconscious when either of those characteristics reaches zero. It will
then die in another d10 turns.
15. The monsters arm is practically entirely torn from its body at the
shoulder. Blood gushes out and the monster staggers backwards
before collapsing unconscious, dying inevitably within d10/2
turns.
HEAD
Your attack barely scratches the thick hide of the monster; no
effect.
2. You open up a painful furrow in the monsters thick hide, causing
it to suffer a penalty of 10% to its WS until the end of its next
turn.
3. Your attack grazes the monsters eye, causing it to flinch and lose
one Attack on its next turn.
4. A tooth is knocked out of the monsters mouth, causing it to lose
one half-action as it spits blood and roars in fury. If your attack
was made in close combat and the monster can pass an Average
Ag test, it snaps at your weapon, preventing you from making any
further attacks this turn. If the weapon is of Poor craftsmanship, it
breaks.
5. One of the monsters ears is largely torn off or severed by your
attack. The pain makes it suffer a penalty of 20% to its WS until
the end of its next turn.
6. You open up a long but shallow gash in the monsters neck. It
loses one half-action as it shakes its large head, sending droplets
of blood flying.
7. Your attack hits smack dab in the centre of the monsters forehead, making its eyes cross and causing it to stagger drunkenly,
losing two Attacks on its next turn.
8. Your weapon sinks into the monsters mighty neck but misses any
large blood vessels and then becomes stuck. If the blow was
struck in close combat, you must pass an Average S test or lose
your grip on it as the beast shakes its head to dislodge the stinging
weapon. If you manage to hold on to it you must pass another
Average S test on your next turn to dislodge it, allowing you to
take actions normally, but until you do you may not use it for
parrying or attacking. Regardless, the monster has had its large
windpipe gashed, making it cough blood and wheeze hideously at
it breathes. Its number of Attacks is halved for the duration of the
combat, due to the distraction and pain.
9. A mighty blow smashes into the side of the monsters head, severing any protruding horns, antennas or ears on that side as the
GM sees fit. It must pass a Hard (-20%) T test or be stunned until
the end of its next turn.
10. Your strike fractures the monsters jaw, stunning it until the end
of its next turn. The pain also causes it to suffer a penalty of
20% to all tests for the duration of the combat. It will also probably need to learn the joys of soft fare for a few weeks.
11. Your weapon deeply pierces the monsters eye, blinding it on that
side. It permanently loses one Attack due to lack of coordination.
In addition, it is stunned until the end of its next turn and will
suffer a penalty of 20% to all tests for the duration of the combat. It must also permanently reduce any BS or sight-based Perception test by half.
12. Your blow smashes into the monsters skull with a resounding
crack of fracturing bone, causing blood to flow from its ears and
nostrils. It is stunned until the end of its next turn and must halve
its number of Attacks (rounding up) for the duration of the combat. In addition, due to brain damage, one Attack will be lost
permanently and it will have to pass a Hard (-20%) T test or suf1.

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Large Monsters

fer a permanent penalty of 10% to all tests based on Ag, Int or
WP.
13. Your weapon goes in through the monsters mouth, lacerating its
tongue and knocking out a few teeth before sinking into its palate.
Although failing to penetrate all the way to the brain or spinal
cord, it is nevertheless a painful and incapacitating blow. The
monster counts as stunned for d10/2 turns and will afterward lose
one half-action per round and suffer a penalty of 20% to all tests
as it chokes on its own blood. These effects will last for the duration of the combat, after which it suffers only the 20% penalty
due to pain until it has healed itself back to Lightly Wounded.
14. You open the monsters throat with a mighty stroke, making
steaming blood spurt out in great jets. The monster suffers a cumulative penalty of 20% to its WS and S each turn, falling unconscious when either of those characteristics reaches zero, dying
within another d10 turns.
15. Your weapon severs the monsters neck or pierces its eye or
bashes open its skull, killing it in whatever manner the GM sees
as most dramatic. If the blow was struck in close combat, there is
a 50% risk the monster will fall on you. In that case you must
pass an Average Ag test or suffer a hit with a Damage of 1/10 of
the monsters original Wounds characteristic (rounding up). If this
causes a critical hit, use the Sudden Death rules, counting a fatal
result as a messy death and any No Effect result as you getting
helplessly trapped underneath the monsters bulk, requiring either
outside help or a successful Hard (-20%) S test to get out from
under it.
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.

8.

9.

BODY
You barely scratch the thick hide of the monster; no effect.
You open up a painful furrow in the monsters thick hide, causing
it to suffer a penalty of 10% to its WS until the end of its next
turn.
Your weapon punches into the monsters chest, piercing its thick
skin but not penetrating to any vital organs. The monster loses
one Attack as it flinches from the pain.
Your weapon leaves a large flap of skin dangling from the monsters chest. If you or anyone else specifically aim any further
attacks against its Body (taking a 20% to hit penalty for aiming
at a specific hit location), then any natural armour counts as having one point of AP less. Hits randomly located to the Body do
not benefit in this way. This result can be repeated several times,
reducing the effectiveness of any natural armour further.
Your strike carves deeply into the monsters belly, only just failing to tear deeper into its guts, causing it to suffer a penalty of
20% to its WS until the end of its next turn.
A telling hit smashes into the monsters spine, sending it reeling.
It loses a half-action as it regains its balance.
Your weapon becomes stuck in the monsters chest, lodged between thick ribs. You must win a contested S test against the
monster, each attempt from either of you requiring a half-action.
If you win, you have regained your weapon. If the monster wins,
it has torn the weapon from your grasp. As long as the weapon is
both stuck and in your hand, the pain of its blade twisting and
tearing its flesh causes the monster to lose one half-action each
turn. If the attack was made with a projectile weapon or a blunt
weapon (like a mace or hammer), simply count the result as a rib
fracture, causing the monster to suffer a penalty of 10% to all
tests for the duration of the battle.
Your blow has broken something within the monsters mighty
torso. The pain causes it to lose one Attack for the duration of the
battle. (If it only has a single Attack, it may still use it but at half
WS.)
Your weapon bites deeply into the monsters chest, exposing
gleaming ribs. The monster counts as stunned until the end of its
next turn.

10. Your weapon exposes yellowish vertebras as it carves into the

monsters back between its huge shoulder-blades. The sharp pain
lancing out from the injury halves its number of Attacks (rounding up) for d10/2 turns.
11. Your furious attack sends the monster staggering backwards,
coughing up blood, several ribs staved in. It counts as stunned
until the end of its next turn, and must then halve its number of
Attacks until its mangled chest has healed in six minus TB
months (although a minimum of one month).
12. Your weapon drives into the monsters chest with great force,
embedding itself deeply, piercing one lung. The monster finds
itself suddenly short of breath and spewing up frothy blood in
great quantities. If the attack was performed in close combat, a
weapon of Poor craftsmanship breaks off within your foes body,
ruining it. Dislodging your weapon requires a half-action and a
successful Challenging (-10%) S test. Regardless, the monster
loses one half-action per turn. The effect lasts until it has healed
in six minus TB months (although a minimum of one month).
13. You strike hard into your mighty foes spine, severing it. The
monsters lower body is permanently paralysed and, apart from
being knocked down and unable to move at a faster pace than a
crawl, it must halve its number of attacks for the duration of the
battle.
14. Your weapon disappears to the hilt in the monsters body, becoming stuck as per #12 above. Major blood vessels and internal organs have been damaged. The monster suffers a cumulative penalty of 10% to its WS and S each turn, falling unconscious when
either of those characteristics reaches zero, dying within another
d10 turns.
15. Your weapon pierces your huge adversarys mighty heart, killing
it instantly. If the blow was struck in close combat, there is a 50%
risk the monster will fall on you. In that case you must pass an
Average Ag test or suffer a hit with a Damage of 1/10 of the monsters original Wounds characteristic (rounding up). If this causes
a critical hit, use the Sudden Death rules, counting a fatal result as
a messy death and any No Effect result as you getting helplessly
trapped underneath the monsters bulk, requiring either outside
help or a successful Hard (-20%) S test to get out from under it.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.

9.

LEG
You barely scratch the thick hide of the monster; no effect.
You open up a painful furrow in the monsters thick hide, causing
it to suffer a penalty of 10% to its WS until the end of its next
turn.
A blow to a joint causes the monster to stumble, losing one Attack
on its next turn.
Your weapon sinks into a mighty foot, making your huge foe roar
with pain. This causes a penalty of 20% to its WS until the end
of its next turn.
Your weapon slams into the monsters lower leg as it strides forward, rebounding forcefully off the bone, unbalancing you as
your weapon is almost torn from your grasp. You are unable to
perform any further attacks or parries with that weapon until your
next turn. The monster loses one half-action.
A huge toe goes flying through the air as your blow slams home.
Your roaring foe is so upset by this he loses one half-action.
A well-aimed blow sends the monster crashing to the ground,
counting as knocked down.
You almost manage to slash through the large Achilles tendon
behind your enormous foes huge foot, opening up a gaping
wound. The monsters M is halved (although only reduced by
if it has four or more legs) and any Dodge Blow tests (if it possesses this skill) count as Hard (-20%). In addition, it loses two
Attacks on its next turn.
A joint in the monsters leg has been badly damaged by your
fierce attack. The monster loses one Attack due to poor balance

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com

Critical Hits Large Monsters

10.
11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

(if it only has a single Attack it can still use it but at half WS) and
also halves its M (although only reduced by if it has four or
more legs). The effects last until the leg has healed in six minus
TB months (although a minimum of one month).
A wicked blow to the knee sends an electric shock of pain
through the monsters leg, staggering it and causing it to count as
stunned until the end of its next turn.
Your blow has snapped a bone in your foes leg, leaving it dangling. If bipedal, the monster is knocked down and can only move
with a crawl, also suffering a penalty of 10% to all tests for the
duration of the battle due to the pain. The leg is useless until
healed in six minus TB months (although a minimum of one
month), but will heal crookedly, permanently reducing M by 2.
If the monster has four or more legs, its M will be halved and it
will also lose one Attack due to poor balance, these effects lasting
until the leg has healed in six minus TB months (although a
minimum of one month), but the leg will heal crookedly, permanently reducing M by .
Your strike almost severs the monsters foot from its leg. If bipedal, the monster is knocked down and can only move with a
crawl, also suffering a penalty of 20% to all tests for the duration of the battle due to the pain. The leg is permanently useless.
If the monster has four or more legs, its M will be halved and it
will also lose one Attack due to poor balance, these effects also
being permanent.
Your attack opens up a gaping wound in the monsters upper leg,
spurting dark blood in huge quantities. The monster is knocked to
the ground and suffers a 20% risk each turn of falling unconscious from loss of blood. If bipedal, it can get up next turn, but
move at only of its M, counting all Dodge Blow tests (if it possesses this skill) as Very Hard (-30%), until the leg has healed in
one month. If the monster has four or more legs, it can get up and
move at half M, counting all Dodge Blow tests (if it possesses
this skill) as Hard (-20%), until the leg has healed in one month.
If it passes five turns in a row without passing out, the bleeding
stops and it is no longer at risk of falling unconscious.
You practically sever the monsters leg, jets of blood shooting
from the stump. It is knocked down, unable to get up, and will
suffer a cumulative penalty of 10% to its WS and S each turn,
falling unconscious from loss of blood when either of those characteristics reaches zero, dying within another d10 turns.
Your weapon drives deep into your monstrous adversarys hip,
continuing into its lower body, rupturing inner organs and major
blood vessels. The monster falls to the ground, helpless, and dies
within d10/2 turns. If the blow was dealt in close combat, your
weapon is stuck, requiring a half-action and a successful Routine
(+10%) S test to dislodge.

Critical Hit Effects by Josef Tham, v2.0. After tables by Chuck Morrison at www.windsofchaos.com