Wounds

Wounds are cards given out that represent an injury, curse or other affliction. The wound has a description of what the wound is and how it affects you, both mechanically and in terms of roleplaying. The wound will also have a method of treatment.

Some wounds are "mortal" wounds, and are the means by which your character can eventually become terminally wounded and die.

Mortal Wounds and Terminal

Characters have a limited number of Mortal Wounds they can sustain before dying.

• PCs and resilient NPCs will become Terminal once they take 4 mortal wounds
• Most other NPCs will die immediately after taking 2 mortal wounds.
• Not all wounds are mortal wounds. Wounds that aren't mortal don't contribute to your death track.

Mortal wounds are generally given out with the WOUND call. If you have, and need to ask for, more mortal wounds than you are capable of sustaining, then you immediately become Terminal. If you take your final WOUND as a result of performing a skill (such as a ritual causing fallout) the skill still works and if applicable you can deliver its effect before becoming terminal.

While Terminal you should act as though dying, and can’t take any actions unless it's a skill explicitly usable while terminal. You can't be healed from this state by any normal means. You can move slowly, or can move at normal speed if assisted, or can be restrained by another character with continuous appropriate roleplay. You will die at a dramatically appropriate time of your OC choice before the end of the next interactive you attend, unless you can find some way to avert your fate.

When playing an NPC and you haven't been briefed otherwise, you should die immediately when you receive your second mortal wound rather than becoming Terminal. This means an otherwise healthy NPC should survive simple incapacitation with a wound to commemorate their defeat, but will die if wounded further.

Suppression and Treatment

• Wounds can be temporarily suppressed on linears with skills such as Patch Up.
• Wounds can be treated only in an interactive.
• Treated wounds expire at the end of the event.

Wounds have fairly potent "acute" effects and having fresh wounds will severely limit your effectiveness. Suppressing or treating a wound severely diminishes it but leaves a lingering effect until fully healed. A lingering mortal wound still counts towards your death track until it fully heals.

All wounds need to be treated by a surgeon or other relevant expert in an interactive before they can heal fully. The requirements for the wound treatment are on the wound card.

Not all wounds are mortal, and those that aren’t don’t count towards your death track. Wounds given out as a result of ritual mishaps (that aren’t fallout) will usually not be mortal wounds. Non-mortal wounds can also happen at dramatic points in combat, either given out ad hoc or with the CURSE call.

All treated wounds fully heal at the end of each event.

Example Wounds

Broken Arm

This is an example of a physical wound that might be given out after a dramatic moment in combat

Acute: Your arm has been severely damaged and you find it almost impossible to move it. You cannot use the arm to wield a weapon or use it to invoke focus powers.

Treatment: A surgeon must set the arm. This is likely to be painful.

Lingering: Your arm is still weak. You are unable to make calls other than SINGLE with a melee or thrown weapon used only in that arm. If you have two broken arms you can't make calls other than SINGLE with any melee or thrown weapons.

Punctured Lung

A more severe physical wound, which might result from a dramatic defeat, or an experiment gone awry.

Acute: Your breathing is laboured, you may not speak louder than a whisper, and you are unable to muster the energy to use any Techniques, Tricks or Focus Powers, or perform any roleplayed skill that requires a minute. If this wound is not suppressed or treated within five minutes you will become Terminal; you are aware of this impending doom.

Treatment: A surgeon must relieve the pressure in the chest cavity.

Lingering: Your chest is still heavy, you find it difficult to raise your voice, taking twice as long to use the Second Wind and Recharge skills.

Elemental Stress

Thaumaturgic enchantments reduce your ability to endure mortal wounds by causing "elemental stress". These are mortal wounds that have only roleplaying effects.

Acute and Lingering: Roleplaying effects in line with the appropriate element,

Treatment: None

Special: Always fully heals at sunrise.

Strange Fungus

This is an example of a wound that might be given out by special enemies with the CURSE call.

Acute: A strange fungal growth has embedded in you and is growing rapidly under your skin, feeding on your vitality. You feel faint and are subject to WEAKEN.

Treatment: You must spend 2 minutes in a Consecration of Destruction to cause the fungus to recede back to the initial infection site, then, still within the Consecration, a surgeon must surgically remove the initial growth.

Lingering: You have one fewer stamina and can't use Quick Wits.

Special: If this has not been treated by the end of the next interactive you attend, inform a ref.