At the dawn of time we played around the kitchen table with a mishmash of rules. I thought these were just how the game was played. In reality how the game was played varied quite a lot, almost everything was house rules.
One of the rules that we used a lot was the Critical Hit and Fumble tables from the Arduin Grimoire by Dave Hargrave. The rule was, on a natural 20 you rolled a critical hit. you rolled a second time to “confirm” the critical, if the second roll was a hit you scored a critical and rolled on the table.
Arduin Grimoire Critical Hit Table
The table had many interesting and colorful effects.
| DIE ROLL | HIT LOCATION | RESULTS | POINT DAMAGE |
| 01-02 | Head, frontal | Brain penetrated, immediate death. | 4-32 |
| 03-04 | Neck, frontal | Voicebox ruined, total voice loss. Permanent damage. | 1-8 |
| 05-06 | Wrist | Hand severed, die in 1-8 minutes. | 3-18 |
| 07-08 | Chest or back | Impalement, weapon is stuck there. | 3-30 |
| 09-10 | Side (roll) | 1-5 ribs broken (roll number and where) | 1-3 per rib |
| 11-15 | Leg (roll side) | Artery cut, die in 1-10 minutes (roll) | 1-8 |
| 16-20 | Arm (roll, etc.) | As above, but dies in 1-12 minutes. | 1-6 |
| 21-25 | Foot, rear | Achilles tendon cut, fall immediately. Permanent damage. | 1-3 |
| 26-30 | Fingers | 1-5 (roll) severed (roll side) | 1-each |
| 31-32 | Toes | As above. Permanent damage. | 3 per two |
| 33-34 | Face | Eye ruined (roll side) or torn out. Unable to fight for 1-10 melee turns, Permanent damage. | 1-6 |
| 35-38 | Forehead | Gashed, blood in eyes, can’t see. Blood in eyes can’t fight for 1-10 melee turns. | 1-3 |
| 37-38 | Crotch/chest | Genitals/breasts torn off, shock. Immediate shock induced coma, death in 1-4 minutes. | 3-18 |
| 39-40 | head, side | Ear taken off, hearing loss. Permanent 50% hearing loss and -2 charisma. | 1-3 |
| 41-42 | Buttocks | Buttocks torn off, fall, shock. Shock induced coma, death in 3-30 minutes, permanent -3 agility, 1/2 speed. | 4-16 |
| 43-44 | head, general | Stunned, 1-10 melee turns. No fighting. | 1-2 |
| 45-46 | As above | Stunned, 1-6 minutes. No fighting. | 1-4 |
| 47-48 | As above | Minor concussion, 1-10 minutes as above. | 1-6 |
| 49-50 | As above | Moderate confusion, unconscious. Actually unconscious for 1-6 melee turns, after revival, confused and groggy for 6-60 minutes. | 1-8 |
| 51-55 | As above | Major skull fracture, unconscious. Out for 2-20 minutes and amnesia for 2-24 hours afterward, 40% chance of it becoming permanent. | 1-10 |
| 56-60 | Neck, frontal | Throat cut, die in 1-3 melee turns. | 1-8 |
| 61-65 | Arm, variable | Torn off (roll % loss) die 1-3 turns. | 4-24 |
| 66-70 | Leg, as above | As above, fall, die in 1-3 melee turns | 4-48 |
| 71-75 | Chest | Heart pierced, die immediately. | 1-10 |
| 76-80 | Back, lower | Spine ruined, varied results. Roll six sided die with following results 1=100% paralyzed; 2=left side ditto; 3=right side ditto; 4=waist up ditto; 5=waist down ditto and 6 means the damage was too severe, death in one minute. | 2-20 |
| 81-85 | Face | As for No. 33-34, but both eyes, blinded. | 2-12 |
| 86-90 | face | Nose ruined, -6 charisma, stunned. Breathing problems, -2 constitution as applicable to endurance, and bad speech problems. | 1-8 |
| 91-94 | head, general | Nothing apparent. Later problems.Brain will hemorrhage in 1-10 days resulting in either (roll) death or total and permanent insanity, incoherence, etc. | 1-2 |
| 95 | Guts ripped out | 20% chance of tangling feet, die in 1-10 minutes | 2-16 |
| 96 | Head, top | Skullcaved in, major brain damage.Allmental faculties permanently halved, roll % of memory destroyed (strating at 50%), charisma reduced by 8. | 2-12 |
| 97 | Chest (roll) | Lung punctured, internal damage. Permanent halving of strength, constitution and endurance. | 1-12 |
| 98 | Neck | Head torn off, immediate death. | 5-50 |
| 99 | See results | Body split in twain, immediate death. | 10-100 |
| 100 | Head | Entire head pulped and plastered over a wide area, irrevocable death ensues. | Total |
This table is interesting it’s a good idea. The implementation is not great.
In some instances it tries for too much realism. For example. 26-30 says sever 1-5 fingers extra damage is 1 point per finger. it sounds reasonable but what is 1 point of damage? To a peasant that could be a killing blow to an ogre it’s next to nothing. This gives the feeling that the critical hit was wasted!
On the other hand the ideas here are great and can add a lot to the game. The effects, while some might argue and it would depend on your style of play, could be very role playable. The implementation needs some improvements.
Another big problem with this table is that it favors the monsters. Many of the effects that might have far reaching life consequences don’t really matter to monsters that you happen to find in a dungeon, you’ll never meet them again.
There are some good ideas here:
- Extra damage for a critical. A mistake this table makes is to try and make the damage realistic to injury described.
- permanent injuries. This might controversial, and might not be for all tables. Playing a character who is missing a just might not be fun.
- Side effects caused by the injury. Some of the side effects here are not described well in game terms and others are completely debilitating.
40 years later and people are revisiting this idea in different forms.
Lingering Injuries from the 5e DMG
Here is a table from the 5th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide.
| Roll (d20) | Result |
| 1 | Lose an eye |
| 2 | Lose an arm or hand |
| 3 | Lose a leg or foot |
| 4 | Limp |
| 5-7 | Internal Injury |
| 8-10 | Broken Ribs |
| 11-13 | Horrible Scar |
| 14-16 | Festering Wound |
| 17-20 | Minor Scar |
This table simplifies and abstracts a lot of what appears in the Arduin table. This table is great idea and could add some gritty realism, in an abstract way, to your games. I’d recommend using this, with the agreement of your players, as an effect applied to any character that reaches 0 Hit Points in combat.
Again this idea applies only to players so it favors monsters. Using it only when players reach 0 hp. could add an interesting angle to combat. In many games I’ve played characters calculate around the idea that they can expect to be healed if they get knocked down to 0 hp. With a lingering injury as a side effect it changes the math making going to 0 hp something to be avoided rather than a mild inconvenience. As an alternative you can apply these when a character fails a death save by 5 or more.
Alternative lingering injury table
The table is a more or less flat but favors minor scar (20%) and festering wound (15%) over losing an eye (5%) or hand (5%). You can make the likelihood of permanent injury less by using 2d6.
| Roll (2d6) | Result |
| 2 | Lose an eye |
| 3 | Lose foot |
| 4 | Limp |
| 5 | Internal Injury |
| 6 | Broken Ribs |
| 7 | Minor Scar |
| 8 | Horrible Scar |
| 9 | Festering Wound |
| 10 | Lose finger |
| 11 | Lose arm or hand |
| 12 | Lose leg |
In this table losing an eye or hand would be about 3% and losing a hand or foot would be about 6%. While broken ribs or horrible scar are about 14%, and minor scar is 17%. This would make minor injuries a little more common and debilitating injuries a little less common.
Beyond the gritty realism, using a major injuries table could take your game in new directions. Imagine that these injuries can be counteracted with powerful healing magic. This would give players something to do when they get to town. Of course this assumes that you are willing to describe negotiations with local clerics, and that your players will think this fun.
Lingering Injuries and Death?
The real question I’m asking myself, as I write this, is lingering injuries and death fun for everyone? or at least everyone I’m playing with. I’m not sure that ever would enjoy this. It might take some buy in from players, which might require explanation up front before a campaign began.
I’m weighing on the one hand characters that go to 0 hp then pop back up the next round, against losing characters and having to start over again.
In the first case it makes the games a little boring, everyone knows they will win. This can work when the stories become more about plot arc and in game problem solving.
In the second case, it can be drag to lose a character, and having to create a new character takes time. Introducing a new character asks questions like what level do they start at? And, how to introduce a new character in an ongoing campaign?
Let’s address the idea of lingering injuries. While realism can be fun, I’m not a fan of overly simulations games. The game is abstract, and there’s no point in adding highly realistic systems around the fringes. I do think there is some room for more risk and consequences.
Currently the game has a lot of rewards. Characters gain experience, advance in level, gain hit points, class abilities, increase their attributes, they may gain spells etc. From what I understand, most people are playing with milestone experience, so characters can expect these benefits every couple sessions.
if there is no chance for failure or setback the game becomes a group story telling exercise, which might be good for some groups. In my opinion, this is less game, there is no challenge, no chance to win! I’d like to present player with choices that have meaningful impact on the fates of their characters.
Death of characters should be rare, at least for my group, and 5e handles this well. There have been very deaths in our campaigns. Three our four, and one TPK over the last few years. Usually characters can power through almost any combat situation with little fear of consequences. I’d like to add something to make players think about the choices they make when choosing to enter into a combat.
Lingering injuries present a problem when a player loses a leg. How do they get around? Disabling a character is like killing them off. I feel like lingering injuries should affect a characters attributes. This meaningful and something players will avoid at all costs but is not completely disabling. To be fair there should be a way to regain these lost points at a cost.
| Roll (d10) | Result |
| 1 | Major Scar: -1 to Strength |
| 2 | Major Scar: -1 to Dexterity |
| 3 | Chest Wound: -1 to Constitution |
| 4 | Head Wound: -1 to Intelligence |
| 5 | Internal Injury: -1 to Wisdom |
| 6 | Facial Scar: -1 to Charisma |
| 7 | Festering Wound: Max HP reduced by 1 Hit Die |
| 8 | Leg Wound: -5 feet movement, character limps |
| 9 | Minor Scar |
| 10 | Minor Scar |
This table applies a loss of an attribute for a significant injury. I think critical hits would not be fair as they occur too often, and don’t apply to monsters. I’d apply this table to characters who reach 0 HP due to combat damage. Characters should be able to restore lost attributes (or HD) using restoration, or another strong healing magic.
Players can describe and embellish these wounds in any way they like.
Here is another table that expands the ideas above.
| Roll (d20) | Attribute | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strength | Torn Muscle: -2 to Strength, disadvantage on Strength checks and saves. Heal with 2 weeks of rest or magic. |
| 2 | Dexterity | Sprained Ankle: -2 to Dexterity, movement speed reduced by 10 feet. Heal with 1 week of rest or magic. |
| 3 | Constitution | Broken Rib: -2 to Constitution, disadvantage on Constitution checks and saves, and physical activities. Heal with magic or 4 weeks of rest. |
| 4 | Intelligence | Concussion: -2 to Intelligence, disadvantage on Intelligence checks, and concentration checks. Heal with 1 week of rest or magic. |
| 5 | Wisdom | Nerve Damage: -2 to Wisdom, disadvantage on Wisdom checks and saves. Heal with specialized treatment or magic. |
| 6 | Charisma | Disfiguring Scar: -2 to Charisma, disadvantage on Charisma checks involving physical appearance. Special treatment or magic can heal. |
| 7 | HP | Severe Festering Wound: Max HP reduced by 2 Hit Dice, requires magical healing or specific treatment to recover. |
| 8 | Movement | Knee Injury: -10 feet movement, disadvantage on actions requiring mobility (jumping, running). Heal with physical therapy or magic. |
| 9 | All Attributes | Poisoned System: -1 to all attributes, requires antidote or high-level magic to cure. |
| 10 | Recovery Quest | Cursed Wound: Does not heal naturally, requires a quest to find a cure or special magic. |
| 11 | Strength | Crushed Hand: -1 to Strength, disadvantage on checks using that hand until healed with magic or surgery. |
| 12 | Dexterity | Cut Tendons: -1 to Dexterity, disadvantage on Dexterity checks and saves. Requires magic or long-term therapy. |
| 13 | Constitution | Persistent Cough: -1 to Constitution, disadvantage on stealth and concentration checks. Heals with time or magic. |
| 14 | Intelligence | Memory Loss: -1 to Intelligence, forget one skill or language temporarily. Recovers naturally or with magic. |
| 15 | Wisdom | Haunting Visions: -1 to Wisdom, disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened. Therapy or magic can heal. |
| 16 | Charisma | Lost Voice: -1 to Charisma, cannot perform verbal components of spells or use abilities requiring speech. Heals with time or magic. |
| 17 | HP | Scarred Lung: Max HP reduced by 1 Hit Die, difficulty on strenuous physical activities. Requires special treatment or magic. |
| 18 | Movement | Shattered Foot: -15 feet movement, cannot run or charge. Requires surgery or magic to heal. |
| 19 | Specific Skill | Impaired Senses: Disadvantage on Perception checks, affects sight or hearing. Recovers with treatment or magic. |
| 20 | Roll Twice | Roll twice on this table (ignoring further 20s), combining the effects for more complex injuries. |
This table expands the ideas of the previous table. It includes ideas of short term and longer term consequences. Some of the results last for weeks or healed by magical means. There is also the inclusion of minor mechanical effects, for example disadvantage on strength saves or disadvantage on perception checks.
In some ways this table counteracts the effects of leveling up, at least temporarily. A couple leave the “cure” as an in game task such as “recovery quest” or “treatment”. I’m leaving these to the GM and players to negotiate. Being reduced to 0 hp should come with some consequences, but it should not break the game, or end play for a player. If consequences can drive some interesting game play maybe that could be good for the game?
Conclusion
This is an idea I have been thinking about for a while. I had previously used the Lingering Injury Table from the DMG to mixed reviews from players. The response was lukewarm. While it added a greater sense of danger it didn’t add a lot to the game. We had one player who lost a hand.
Full disclosure, I haven’t played with these new tables yet. I plan to give them a try when GM duties rotate to me in the next few weeks.
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