Downing, First Aid, and Healing: A Simple and Coherent System

27 Mar, 2025

I use a slot-based inventory that determines overland and tactical speed based on fill, and my armour is in the form of points, analogous to other systems' HP, that must be ablated before reaching Health Points. These features are not essential to the system described below.

DOWNING, INJURY, & AID

When damage exceeds HP, a target is Downed: They are prone and helpless. Though they may be conscious, they can't say or do anything useful. Reference the Excess Damage table and add FAT, INF, and WND to their inventory accordingly

Fatigue (FAT), infection (INF), and Wounds (WND) each occupy 1 slot of Inventory. INF are represented by 1d2 coins, WND by d6.

Do not make a Bleed Check the same round as being Downed. Each round thereafter until bandaged, make a Bleed Check.

• Bandaging takes 1 round, and each bandage stabilizes 1 Wound and any number of INF. Each makeshift bandage adds 1 (stabilized) INF. When all INF & WND are stabilized no further Bleed Checks need be made.
• Bandaging oneself requires a WIL tst: On failure, pass out.

BLEED CHECK

1. Set TN: +1 for each INF, +6 for each WND
2. Roll 1d20
   • If <= TN, die
   • If > TN, live
   • If = 20, gain permanent disability

If placing scars, injury, disability, roll 1d12:

• 1-2)Head
• 3-4)Trunk
• 5)Arm, Right, Upper
• 6)Arm, Left, Upper
• 7)Arm, Right, Lower
• 8)Arm, Left, Lower
• 9)Leg, Left, Upper
• 10)Leg, Right, Upper
• 11)Leg, Right, Lower
• 12)Leg, Left Lower

Permanent Disabilities

• Light Permanent Disability: Disfiguring scar, lips, nervous tick
• Moderate Permanent Disability: Limp, reduced attribute, amputated extremities &c
• Severe Permanent Disability: Limb amputation, blindness &c

SHORT RESTS

A Short Rest takes 10min. It restores all Armour Points.

Healing drugs or magic may be utilized. They follow the healing order given below: Fatigue --> Infection --> HP

INFECTION & WOUNDS

At the end of each day, after long rest healing is calculated:

• Each Infection has a 50& chance of duplicating
• Each Wound has a 1in6 chance of killing and a 2in6 chance of spreading one Infection.

LONG RESTS & HEALING

One Long Rest may be performed per day. It takes 8 hours - periods on watch do not count against this unless they reduce sleep below 4 hours. It requires Water, food, shelter, and sleep: If all are adequate begin at 'Comfortable' and downgrade from there.

• Lacking Water makes any rest wretched. If water is not consumed in a day, gain 3 dehydration Fatigue. Die when dehydration causes the inventory to overflow
• If one ration is not consumed / day, gain 1 starvation Fatigue. Die when starvation causes the inventory to overflow.
• A cloak and a fire is adequate shelter for dry, temperate nights. More effort must obviously be taken in more trying climes.
• If 4hrs of sleep are not had within 24 hours, gain 1 Fatigue. Fall asleep for 6+d12 hours when sleep deprivation causes the inventory to overflow.

HEALING ORDER Fatigue are always removed before Infection before Health Points.

LONG REST EFFICACY

• d2: Wretched
• d4: Uncomfortable
• d6: Comfortable
• d8: Civilized

SURGERY

Wounds are not removed by resting. They are removed by surgery. Surgery is a blackjack-style roll: To succeed, roll over risk and under the surgery skill. This requires appropriate tools

SURGERY SKILLS

• 18: Physician
• 14: Barber-surgeon
• 10: Sawbones

SURGERY CHECK

1. Set Risk: 1 (best) to 3 (worst) for filth of operating theatre + number of Wounds
2. Roll 1d20
   • If <= Risk, patient dies on the table
   • if risk < d20 <= surgery skill, succeed
   • if > surgery skill, fail but patient alive. May try again next day.