Character Status
Your character's damage is a very important game value. In your Character Log you have a counter used precisely for tracking health. Whenever the status worsens, cross out one or more boxes in this column. When healing, on the other hand, erase the cross.
During an adventure, a character may be wounded, poisoned, burned or even killed. The degree of harm they have suffered is expressed by their status:
Healthy character
Has no wounds or only very light ones and is not limited in any way.
Slightly wounded character
Feels not as strong and fit for combat as before - their wounds limit them slightly.
Wounded character
Feels bad, everything hurts, everything takes longer, and they are best off resting in bed.
Seriously wounded character
Moves and fights badly, is very slow and must rest for a long time to recover.
Any damage of a level or more can mean passing out.
Critically wounded character
Can hardly move, staggers in combat, is slow and often faints. A longer march or strenuous work can kill them.
Any damage can mean passing out.
Mortally wounded character
Is on the verge of death - if not treated and not resting, they will almost certainly die. Any further damage to a mortally wounded character leads to their death.
Dead Character
If a "mortally wounded" character is wounded for even a single health point, they die (but see Wounds That Don't Kill).
Their player can no longer control them, unless someone revives them with their abilities.
A character also dies if a single wound would push them past the "mortally wounded" level.
Death can also come in other ways, for example by petrification or loss of the soul (with a permanent drop of Intelligence below -10).
If a player's character dies and is not saved in any way, it is up to the GM and the player to create a new character together.
| Character Status | Roll penalty |
|---|---|
| healthy | − |
| slightly wounded | -2 |
| wounded | -4 |
| seriously wounded* | -6 |
| critically wounded** | -8 |
| mortally wounded | -10 |
| dead | − |
* 1 level is enough to pass out
** Any damage is enough to pass out
A character's status affects their performance - they receive penalties (see the previous table) to all rolls and to speed.
Reduced Damage Penalties
Some abilities can reduce your penalties, e.g. for damage or fatigue. However, you can never reduce damage penalties below half, i.e. a mortally wounded character will have a penalty of at least -5, no matter how large their bonuses.Counting Damage
Example
Ultor (Constitution 10, Endurance 8) starts the adventure completely healthy.— damage of 1 to 7 HP is only minor for him (does not change his status)
— damage of 8 to 15 HP worsens his status to "slightly wounded"
— damage of 16 to 23 HP worsens his status to "wounded"
— damage of 24 to 31 HP worsens his status to "seriously wounded"
— damage of 32 to 39 HP worsens his status to "critically wounded"
— damage of 40 to 47 HP worsens his status to "mortally wounded"
— damage of 48 or more HP kills him on the spot
Minor Injury
Until the damage reaches Endurance, remember it or write it down in your notes. We call such damage a minor injury.
Minor injuries add up.
Damage Level
When damage and minor injuries reach Endurance, the character's status changes for the worse.
When the character's status changes, cross out (forget) the minor injuries.
If your character takes more damage, their status may even change by several levels at once, or they may be killed outright!
Example
A healthy Ultor takes a wound for 3 HP in combat (he notes it as a minor injury).His status does not change.
Then he is wounded for 10 HP, which together with the previous 3 HP makes 13 HP. This changes his status by one for the worse, and the remaining minor injuries are "erased".
Then he is wounded for 5 HP by a spell. The total damage reaches 8 HP and Ultor's status worsens by one again.
Do not forget to role-play your character's wounds too. It is not just that you have a -2 or -6 penalty; wounds hurt, the character is weak and, if they do not want to hurt themselves, they should lie down and heal.
Exceptions confirming this rule are characters of strong will or fitness (Constitution), who either feel their wounds less or can overcome them by willpower.