If Wounds (W) is reduced to zero or less, the character is dying. To even attempt any actions, they must succeed on a NER test. At the start of each round, the character also makes a BOD test, adding successes or failures to W. If W drops at or below a certain threshold (10+BOD), the character is dead. If W gets above zero, the character is no longer dying and stops making tests.
While W is at or below zero, if character wishes to perform actions, they must succeed on a NER test, but they suffer condition penalty (CP) to this test.
Someone with the Heal skill may try to stabilize a dying character in one round – a success of zero or more means that when the character makes BOD tests, they no longer suffer wounds with failures (so ignore negative results), providing they suffer no further injury.
While Wounds at/below zero
BOD test:
Successes: add to Wounds
Failures: subtract from Wounds (ignore if stabilized)
To function while wounds at/below zero:
NER test with success of 0+
If wounds drop below threshold:
10+BOD,
character dies.
Someone with the Heal skill may also heal one set of injuries, but this takes several minutes or more and must take place outside of combat. Once such a test is made, those injuries cannot be healed again in this manner, and any further injuries must be treated separately (and cannot be healed beyond their value). A failure on this check is ignored, allowing the healer to make additional checks until they receive a success of 1 or more. Each attempt still takes several minutes to perform.
Example: say our barbarian's W drops to -2. With a BOD of +1, at the start of the next round he rolls an 8 on 3d6, a failure of one (target of 10, 8+1=9). So his result is
W = -2 - 1 (failure of one) = -3
During this round an ally with the Heal skill tries to stabilize him and rolls a success of four. As long as he takes no more injuries, he ignores all failures for the following rounds. At the start of the next round he rolls a failure of two. So his result is
W = -3 + 0 (failure of two negated by stabilize) = -3
At the start of the next round he finally gets a lucky break, rolling a success of four, so his result is
W = -3 + 4 (success of four) = 1
and his character no longer makes tests now that his W is above zero, but as he comes to his feet he discovers that combat has ended. The healer now turns to our wounded barbarian and attempts to heal his injuries over the next few minutes, binding his wounds. She scores a success of four, so the barbarian now has
W = 1 + 4 (success of four) = 5
and those set of injuries cannot be treated in this manner again. If he takes further injuries, those too may be healed as a separate set of injuries, but his final W cannot be healed above 5 in this manner - he'll need some long-term healing to fully recover.
Outside of combat, characters make one BOD test to recover W at the start of each day. Successes heal their damage (while failures add to the damage). If someone with the Heal skill tends to them during this time, add their skill test result to the patient's BOD test. If the character rests during this time (no strenuous activity), ignore failures on both the Heal test and the BOD test. CP affects this, so the more injured/stressed a person is, the more likely they could die.
In summation (long-term healing), to recover W:
BOD test once per day
Tended with Heal skill: add result to BOD test
If wounded resting: ignore failures from both tests
Success: add to wounds
Failure: subtract from wounds (if not resting)
Example: the barbarian pushes himself and continues to adventure, risking further injury, but he does have an ally that continues to treat his wounds. On the next day, the healer flubs her Heal test and gets a failure of three, giving the barbarian a -3 penalty to his BOD test to heal. With W(5), he also is suffering CP of -1. The barbarian rolls an 11 on his BOD test, so the result is
BOD test modifiers = +1 - 3 (Heal failure of three) -1 (CP) = -3 (to BOD test)
11 (3d6) - 3 (final BOD test bonus) = 8 (BOD test versus target 10) = Failure of Two
causing further injury:
W = 5 - 2 (failure of two) = 3
So the barbarian now has CP of -2. The healer could attempt to heal these 2 points, but no more than that for this set of injuries (i.e. ripped stitching, exacerbated wounds, etc.). She convinces the barbarian to take it easy today, so all failures can be ignored the next day. On the following morning, our healer rolls a success of four and the barbarian rolls a 14, so his result is
BOD test modifiers = +1 (BOD base) + 4 (Heal success of four) -2 (CP) = +3 (to BOD test)
14 (3d6) + 3 (BOD test bonus) = 17 (BOD test versus target 10) = success of seven
and the barbarian heals:
W = 3 + 7 (success of 7) = 10
As his W is now 10 or more, the barbarian is no longer suffering any condition penalty to his actions and he feels well enough to continue adventuring.
If Stress (S) is reduced to zero or less, the character is struggling to remain standing and is stunned. At the start of each round, the character makes a NER recovery test, adding successes or failures to S. If S drops at or below a certain threshold (-NER), the character collapses, unconscious. At this point, any further S damage beyond 10+NER becomes W damage. If S gets above zero, the character stops making tests and is no longer stunned.
Outside of combat, characters make a NER test to increase their S value every minute, ignoring failures if resting. Alternatively, a good hour's rest fully recovers S to the full MC value, though in some cases S may persist longer (such as, for example, an impairment drug that lasts for 3 hours).
In summation (outside of combat), to recover S:
NER test once per minute (providing source, such as drugs, have expired), adding/subtracting results to S with the following modifications:
Ignore failures if resting.
Alternatively, skip checks and fully heal S after one hour of resting.
Example: with a MC of 10, our barbarian enters a bar where he jumps into a fistfight with a thug he insulted. Since physical damage for brawl is small, both foes try to do S damage to quickly drop their opponent. On the first round, the thug hits the barbarian with 4S damage, so the S of the barbarian is now 6,
10 (S = MC when undamaged) - 4 (S damage) = 6
As this is less than 10, the barbarian suffers a condition penalty:
CP = -1 (S less than 10)
Immediately the barbarian is in trouble, as this penalty affects most of his actions. He can attempt a NER test to reduce this penalty (back to 0 with a success of one), but he runs the risk of further penalizing his actions with a failure (and may increase the -1 CP, as failures are added to the condition penalty for that round) . On the next round, the thug hits the barbarian with a big hit for 8S damage, so his S is now
S = 6 - 8 (S damage) = -2
As this is greater than his S (6), the barbarian hits the floor stunned, and the thug gloats over his foe, who now suffers CP of -4. At the start of the next turn, the barbarian attempts a NER test to recover. With his NER bonus = +0, he rolls a 15 on 3d6, scoring a success of one (because of -4 CP), so his MC is now
S = -2 + 1 (NER success of one) = -1
which is still less than 1, so he remains stunned. The following round, the barbarian rolls a critical 16, adding another +1d6 to the result, raising the final to 19. With a -4 CP, this gives him a success of five, so his S rises to 3. He rises off his knees after being stunned for 6 seconds (2 rounds), but his CP is now
CP = -2 (for S at 5 or less)
so he's barely functioning. That was a nasty insult he used on the thug, however, and so the thug knees him hard in the face, catching the barbarian with a surprise attack (he didn't think the fight would continue) so he rolls Superior 1. With a -2 to the barbarian's defenses (due to CP), the thug scores a critical and does 14 damage and the barbarian is now at
S = 3 - 14 (S damage) = -11
-11 is greater than -10 (10+NER), so 1W damage
As S is now less than -(10+NER), this drops the barbarian like a sack of potatoes: he is now unconscious, and the additional point of S damage beyond -NER becomes wound damage. The thug drags him outside and throws him into the street, followed by the barbarian's healer ally (she didn't want to fight, so she stayed out of it) and she waits helplessly next to her friend as, once per minute, he tries to recover (or lays there for an hour before regaining S).
Some types of wounds have additional effects, typically imbued by the properties of the weapon that caused them. Here are some common weapon traits that do special damage:
Cut - base damage is typically wounds, and if used to cause grievous injury to creatures, could trigger a Bleed.
Pierce - base damage is typically wounds, and if used to cause grievous injury to creatures, could trigger a Rupture, damaging organs, reducing the Body stat.
Smash - base damage is typically split as evenly as possible between stress and wounds, and if used to cause grievous injury to creatures, could trigger a Crush, breaking bones and damaging a physical stat (typically FIN or STR).
Burn - base damage is wounds but does equal amounts of stress, and burn stress damage is treated as wound damage for the purpose of healing and recovery. If used to cause grievous injury to creatures, could trigger a Burning, causing additional Burn damage each round until a save is made or the burn managed. Acid is effectively chemical burning so acidic or corrosive weapons may be treated as Burn damage.
Blast - base damage is wounds but does equal amounts of stress. If used to cause grievous injury to creatures, could trigger a Bleed, Rupture, Crush, or Burning (GM's choice, though player's description of attack may influence the outcome).
Ballistic - base damage is wounds. When trying to incapacitate, could trigger a Bleed or Crush. If used to cause grievous injury to creatures, could trigger a Bleed, Rupture, or Crush (GM's choice, though player's description of attack may influence the outcome).
Toxin - base damage is wounds, stress, or a combination of both, depending on the toxin, and it may have additional features that damages stats or has persistent effects.
Special Damage: typically from damage traits, these special forms of damage are resisted with a stat test (typically BOD). Per 5W, add a rank of one to the special damage. For example, 12W from the Cut trait would give Rank 2 Bleed. When the special damage is triggered, target makes a BOD test with the rank as a negative modifier - for each Success of Two, reduce the special damage by one rank, nullifying it at Rank 0. For each Failure of Two, increase the special damage by one rank. For damage types that may have multiple options for special damage, can divide ranks among them. For example, a Rank 3 Blast might have one rank in Bleed, Crush, and Burning, or any other combination (including simply going with Rank 3 Burning, for example).
Bleed - a bleeding wound that causes additional wounds each round until a save is made (repeat BOD test each round, ignoring failures) or the wound managed. Each hand may be used to stem one rank of Bleed.
Rupture - damage to organs, reducing the Body stat by the Rupture rank. Keep track of the Rupture and rank. Once back to full PC, subsequent heal checks are made against the Rupture (repeat BOD test, ignoring failures) until the rank is reduced to zero (healing the BOD damage).
Crush - breaking bones and damaging the Finesse or Strength stat (attacker's choice). Keep track of the Crush and rank, as well as the stat affected. Once back to full PC, subsequent heal checks are made against the Crush (repeat BOD test, ignoring failures) until the rank is reduced to zero (healing the BOD damage).
Burning - fire or acidic/corrosive ongoing damage that causes additional Burn damage each round until a save is made (repeat BOD test each round, ignoring failures) or the wound managed. Burns do equal parts wound and stress, and stress heals like wounds.
Toxin - can have a variety of damage per round or stat damage, resisted with a variety of tests.
Special Damage Test
per 5W, Rank +1 to special damage
BOD test - Rank
per Success of Two: reduce Rank by one
per Failure of Two: increase Rank by one
Combat is generally handled with an opposed test (such as a weapon skill versus the defender's dodge, with the results determining the damage, if any). Dangers beyond combat may wound or stress a creature, such as hazards and traps. Rather than an opposed test, the creature rolls against a target number to determine what damage it takes, if any.
When a creature makes a hazard test, failures on that check become damage, typically either W, S, or both. Some hazards may be countered by stats directly, while others might be countered with a skill (defaulting to a stat if the creature in question has no skill). For a baseline target number for hazards, consider a creature with a stat/skill bonus of +0, with a roll of 10 how much damage would they take? Some guidelines for suggested Target Numbers:
5 or less = generally a safe activity that could be dangerous if a blunder is rolled on the test (working under a heavy object that could fall and crush the character if they are very careless, for example).
8 = slightly more dangerous situation that most can avoid if they are careful.
11 = likely to cause some wounds or stress if the character is not careful.
15 = difficult to avoid wounds or stress, could be life-threatening if the character blunders.
20 = dangerous hazard where escaping damage is very difficult and severe damage is likely.
30+ = deadly hazard that is likely to result in unconsciousness or death.
For determining which stat is used to counter a hazard, use the following guidelines:
FIN = can be avoided with reflexes or dodging, such as a rolling boulder. The Dodge Skill might be appropriate.
ALL = perhaps a supernatural hazard, such as a judgy/temperamental force. The Sway or Con Skill might be appropriate.
BOD = diseases, poisons, and toxins, or anything that attacks/stresses the body itself.
STR = hazards that can be avoided with feats of strength, such as holding open a vice that is straining to crush the character.
INS = hazards that can be avoided by observation or intuitively avoided.
MEN = hazardous puzzles that can be avoided with clever thinking.
NER = hazards that need feats of will or steady nerves to avoid.
Damage: a typical hazard causes wounds, though some hazards may partially or even entirely cause stress instead. Fire, for example, causes equal parts wound and stress damage (and the stress damage is special in that it heals like wound damage). If no value is given for damage, assume it is wound damage, otherwise note the damage type.
Size: a hazard may have a base size for damage (note this is different from the size of the effect itself, i.e. how much of an area or region the hazard covers). As with damage size in combat, each size category larger than the target is +1D, while for each category smaller damage is -1D. If a hazard has no size category, it normalizes to each creature. An example of this is inhaling a toxin - small characters inhale less, larger more, so each is getting a dose equivalent to their size category.
Size, Hazard, Stat/Skill(Target), Damage per Failure
example:
(S5) Boulder Trap FIN(20) W
example with atypical damage noted:
Toxic Smoke INS(15) 1/4W, 1/2S
(each failure of 2 = 1S and failure of 4 = 1W)
Explosive hazards affect targets depending on distance from the blast point, and have one additional value to reflect this, called the blast range. When making a hazard check against an explosion, targets at point-blank range, the test is made with Inferior +1 (or even +2 or more, like when a person lays down on a grenade to shield others from the blast). Targets within the blast range make a normal hazard test, and for each increment beyond the blast range, they get a cumulative Superior +1, up to a maximum of +2.
So, for example, a bomb with a blast range of 3m will impose Superior +1 at point blank, regular check for those within 3 meters, Superior +1 from 3-6 meters, Superior +2 for 6-9 meters. Explosion hazards are listed as such:
Size, Hazard, Blast Range, Stat/Skill(Target), Damage per Failure
example:
(S4) Frag Grenade 5m FIN(15) W
(S4) WW2 Grenade 3m FIN(15) W
Strenuous activity for extended periods of time can lead to exhaustion, even death. For example, running for hours may be a fast way to travel, but pushing too hard can lead to stress and wound damage over time. With running, each creature has a base move, in meters per round (for humans, that's typically 4m/round - as there are 20 rounds/minute, that comes out to 4.8 km/hr). With a Run test, creatures can travel faster by applying a multiplier to their base move: x2 for jog, x3 for run, and x4 for sprint. Successes on a Run test may be added to the base move (at a rate of +1m per Success of Three), and (combined with the multiplier) this can add up to a substantial increase in speed, though the danger comes from exhaustion. Any strenuous activity for extended periods may lead to S or W damage.
Using Run as an example, a BOD test is needed each hour to determine the amount of W & S damage (if any) is sustained while running. The penalty to this exhaustion test is the speed multiplier. For example, a character jogging (x2 movement) who got a Success of Three on their Run test (+1m/round) travels much faster than their base speed, as they have an effective movement of 10m/round (modified base speed of 5m/s with x2 jogging), or 12km/hr, but they must make an Exhaustion test each hour with a BOD test for S and a BOD test for W with a penalty of -2 (for the x 2 movement multiplier). Note there are two BOD Checks needed, one for S damage, where failures are equal to S taken, and one for W damage, where 1/2 failures equal W damage. Characters are more likely to drop from exhaustion, but some can run themselves to death (if they roll well on the S BOD Check and poorly on the W BOD Check).
Using the run example as a guide, GMs may assign an Exhaustion test to any strenuous activity, either on a per-hour basis or whatever time interval feels appropriate. For example, perhaps working a forge requires an Exhaustion test of -2 (just assuming difficulty 2) each hour, while balancing on one leg atop a pillar to prove one's stamina might require an Exhaustion test every 15 minutes (probably with a FIN test also for maintaining balance).
Exhaustion test (S or W) = BOD test - difficulty (run multiplier)
so
BOD test - difficulty
for each:
S Failure = S damage
W Failure = 1/2W damage