Simple Injuries
This is a work-in-progress optional rule. It is intended to add extra difficulty and consequences to combat. See hardcore injuries for a grittier variant.
When damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you suffer an injury. The damage type determines which injury you sustain, as shown in the Injury by Damage table below. If damage of multiple types simultaneously reduce you to 0 hit points, select the injury corresponding to whichever type dealt more damage, or at random in the event of a tie.
Injuries by Damage
| Damage Type | Injury |
|---|---|
| Bludgeoning | Concussion |
| Piercing | Organ damage |
| Slashing | Limb damage |
| Acid | Eye damage |
| Cold | Limb damage |
| Fire | Limb damage |
| Force | Concussion |
| Lightning | Organ damage |
| Necrotic | Limb damage |
| Psychic | Concussion |
| Poison | Organ damage |
| Radiant | Eye damage |
| Thunder | Ear damage |
Healing an Injury
An injury lasts until you finish a long rest. An injury may go away early if an effect explicitly heals an injury.
Injuries
Concussion. You have disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration.
Ear Damage. You are deaf in one ear, chosen randomly. You have disadvantage on sound-based Perception checks. If you sustain this injury on all of your ears, you are deafened.
Eye Damage. You are blind in one eye, chosen randomly. You have disadvantage on sight-based Perception checks. If you sustain this injury on all of your eyes, you are blind.
Facial Scarring. You have disadvantage on Persuasion checks and advantage on Intimidation checks while the scar shows. You do not gain this benefit against a creature that is immune to fear or that has advantage on saving throws against fear.
Limb Damage. One of your limbs, randomly determined, is seriously wounded. You have disadvantage on any attack roll or ability check that uses that limb. If the limb is a leg, your walking speed is halved. If the limb is a wing, you lose the ability to fly.
Organ Damage. At the end of each minute after sustaining this injury, you become poisoned.