- Damage is now represented by TWO separate point totals: hit points and wound points. In an effort to represent the fact that the characters are high-level and very skilled, the combat system has been modified to represent a more cinematic, less bloody combat style.
- Hit Points represent the fatigue, scratches, glancing blows, near misses and bruising that occur in combat, not actual physical trauma. A character's hit points do not change from their current totals and will increase exactly as they have so far. This represents a character's ability to dodge, take a glancing blow, and avoid the enemy's strikes in a more realistic fashion instead of having each and every attack that deals hit point damage be represented in character by an actual physical wound. Normal, everyday people are much easier to kill and will have only wound points.
- All characters will now have a new rating: Wound Points. Wound points represent actual, physical trauma, deep wounds, intense bodily damage, and other life threatening effects. A first-level character has wound points equal to his Constitution score, and gains Wound Points depending on class level, in addition to hit points. See Table 1-1 for details.
- When a character is struck by a standard attack, the damage is deducted from his hit point total, representing minor injury. Any time a critical hit is rolled, the damage is deducted from the character's WOUND point total, indicating that the character has taken a significant wound. Any character who takes wound point damage must make a Fortitude save DC20 or be fatigued (-2 Str, -2 Des, 1/2 movement and cannot run) for 1d4 rounds.
- When a character runs out of hit points, he is fatigued to the point where he cannot defend himself adequatedly. Once a character runs out of hit points, all damage is then deducted from his would points. For instance, Bob the fither has 20 hit points left and has 17 wound points. He takes a standard attack that deals him 22 hit points of damage, which is more than his hit point total. 20 points of the damage are deducted from the hit points he has left, leaving him with none. The remaining 2 points are instead deducted from his wound points, indicating that the strike got through his defenses and struck him solidly. Bob must now make a Fortitude save or be fatigued, and doesn't have any more hit points left. Any more damage he takes, whether from a standard strike or a critical hit, is deducted from his wound points.
- When a character is reduced to 0 wound points, he begins dying. He falls unconscious and begins bleeding to death from massive physical trauma. He loses one wound point per round until he reaches a negative number of wound points equal to 10 plus his Constitution modifier, at which point he dies. Bob the fighter with a 17 constitution score (+3 modifier) will die at -13 wound points.
- When a character loses consciousness due to wound point loss, he stays unconscious until his wound points are healed to their maximum.
- It is possible to die from wound point loss with hit points still remaining. Damage from critical hits is deducted directly from wound points, and bypasses hit points entirely. KEEP THIS IN MIND WHILE IN COMBAT.
- When healing magic is applied, the magic ensures that the physical trauma is healed first, and then the minor cuts and bruises are taken care of. If a character hsa wound point damage and hit point damage, the wound point damage is healed first, and then any left over healing is applied to hit points. Spells may exist that heal only hit points or wound points. Please take these into consideration when using them.
- Healing physical trauma is much more difficult than cuts and bruises. Healing a woudn point magically uses two points worth of standard healing. For instance, Bob the Fighter has taken 7 wound points and lots more hit point damage. A healing spell is cast on him healing 20 points of the damage. Each pound point healed takes 2 points of healing, using up 14 of the 20. The remaining 6 points are healed from Bob's hit points.
- A character heals a number of hit points per day of bed rest equal to his character level. A day of minor activity (walking unencumbered, normal daily activity, etc.) heals hit points equal to one half his character level, rounded down. A character who engages in combat, forced marching, hiking over land, hard riding, or any other strenuous physical activity does not naturally heal any hit points.
- A character heals 1 wound point per day of total bed rest. Any other activity heals no wound points per day without magical intervention.
- IMPORTANT: The massive damage threshold has been raised. A character does not need to make a saving throw against death from massive damage unless he takes hit point damage in a single attack equal to 50 plus his character level plus his constitution modifier. For example, Bob the fighter is a 5th level fighter with a Constitutions score of 17, giving him a +3 modifier. He will need to make a Fortitude saving throw against massive damage only if he sustains more than 58 (50 + 5th level + Con Mod 3) hit points of damage in a single attack.
- The Wound Penalty table has been altered. Hit opints are now not nearly as significant as wound points in regards to wound penalties. See Table 1-2 for details.
- The critical hit range and multiplier of most weapons has been reduced, with the EXCEPTIONS being noted in Table 2-1. Improved Critical and other abilities that affect critical threats and hits affect these new ratings, not the old ones.
- Most "low threat" bad guys will have wound points only. THIS MEANS THAT A SINGLE CRITICAL HIT WILL KILL MOST OF THEM IMMEDIATELY.
- Note that firearms have the potential to be much more deadly now. TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN PLAYING YOUR CHARACTER!
