Wounds, Trauma, and Disability (24-System)

Wounds represent lasting physical trauma. Unlike stamina, wounds do not recover quickly and have escalating consequences. Wounds are tracked by body region and progress through defined states.

Wound States

All body regions follow the same basic wound ladder:

OK → Injured → Disabled → Missing

Each additional wound to the same region advances it one step along this ladder.


Body Regions & Wound Tracks

Arms (Left / Right)

Each arm tracks wounds independently.

Wounds State Effect
0 OK Full use
1 Injured Pain, impaired fine control
2 Disabled Arm unusable for attacks, blocking, warding, or two-handed actions
3 Missing Arm destroyed or severed

Notes:

  • If either arm is Disabled, two-handed weapons cannot be used.
  • A second Disabled arm leaves the character effectively unarmed.

Head (Special Case)

The head has unique consequences.

Wounds State Effect
0 OK No effect
1 Injured Stunned, disoriented, fear spike
2 Sensory Damage Blindness, deafness, or severe impairment (GM chooses)
3 Unconscious Immediate loss of consciousness

Notes:

  • Head wounds are never instantly fatal by default.
  • Further head trauma after unconsciousness causes Core damage.

Legs (Shared Track)

Legs use a shared wound pool representing both legs together.

Wounds State Effect
0 OK Normal movement
1–2 Injured Reduced speed, harder dodges
3–4 Disabled Cannot run, dodge, or stand unaided
5–6 Missing One or both legs destroyed

Notes:

  • Disabled legs reduce the character to crawling or immobility.
  • Missing legs usually cause severe bleeding (see Core Wounds).

Core (Torso / Vital Mass)

The core represents vital organs and systemic trauma.

Core Wounds Condition
0–2 Wounded
3–4 Failing
5 Dying
6 Dead

Notes:

  • Core wounds may come from direct hits, spillover, bleeding, or massive trauma.
  • Reaching 6 Core wounds results in death.

Armor and Wounds

Armor is worn as a single unit, not by location.

Armor converts wounds to stamina loss when hit.

Armor Type Wounds Converted per Hit
Light 1
Medium 2
Heavy 3

Rules:

  • Armor converts wounds before they are applied to a body region.
  • Excess wounds beyond the armor’s conversion capacity are suffered as normal wounds.
  • Armor does not prevent disabling or missing limbs once its capacity is exceeded.
  • Armor may lose integrity or effectiveness based on attack results (Partial Crits, Legendary results, Breaker weapons, etc.).

Medical Care & Recovery

  • Injured: Can recover with rest and basic medical attention.
  • Disabled: Requires significant treatment, splinting, or surgery.
  • Missing: Permanent without extraordinary intervention.
  • Core wounds: Require urgent care; failure to stabilize may result in death.

The Guide determines recovery time and consequences based on fiction, resources, and severity.

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