Damage represents cuts, bruises, and other wounds to the body that do not impede the character’s general ability to act individually but can have a cumulative effect, wearing away the characters Health and Healing. Injuries represent a more serious sort of damage such as broken bones, concussions, and amputations that have long term or permanent consequences for the character. Some attacks can also inflict damage that is harder to heal. This damage is called Critical damage. Examples of this type of damage include that inflicted by Fire or Chaotic Arcane forces.

When a character suffers damage through combat, environmental conditions, illness, or other means, deduct points form their health pool. The amount of health deducted is determined by the source such as combat, falls, heat, or cold minus any mitigating factors such as armour, relevant skill, or specialist gear. Some examples are provided below but are by no means complete or authoritative and alternate formulae may be useful or appropriate.

Combat

Damage sustained in combat is based on the weapon + 1/2 the difference between quality of attack and defense (spread) minus the soak value of any armour, worn or intrinsic to the character.

Bleeding

While most wounds inflict some superficial amount of bleeding, deep or particularly skillfully inflicted wounds are much more dangerous and inflict the Bleeding status. Characters who are Bleeding take 1 point of unsoakable damage per round until they are treated with a successful Medical check at difficulty 17. Such wounds can be reopened on critical failures or if a character is subsequently reduced below 1/2 of their health pool.

Falls

Unexpected

Characters free falling onto a hard surface take 1 damage per meter fallen after the first 2 meters, minus the higher of the character’s Grace or Power (minimum 0). This represents a characters ability to soak the forces of the fall with their agility or endure them with their might. Characters with a 1 or higher in athletics can further mitigate the damage of the fall with a Grace + Athletics check vs. a difficulty of 16+1 per 5 meters fallen. Failure means the character takes normal damage minus soak but on a success the character can double their Grace or Power soak. Note that this mechanic is meant to apply to free falls from height, such as off a roof, horse, ledge, or airship. Trips or falls from a standing position such as in combat trigger their own wound mechanics.

Prepared

Characters intentionally jumping down or attempting an athletics check gain the benefit of preparation and can add their Athletics to their soak (e.g., higher of power or grace + athletics)

Soft

If the character is falling on a soft surface such as water or some other liquid all soak values are combined and doubled. (E.g. A character with Grace 3 and Power 1 can soak 4×2 or 8 meters (26ft) of fall damage base and 16 m with a successful Grace + Athletics. A character with Grace 3, Power 1, and Athletics 2 can soak 6×2 or 12 meters of fall damage base and 24m with a successful check.)

Breaking Bones

If the unmodified damage of a fall would exceed 1/2 the characters health pool roll 1d10. On a 1 or 10 the character gets a break injury.

Crushing

Characters caught under falling debris or heavy objects suffer damage determined by the storyteller based on the size, materials, and circumstances. Damage can range from 1d10 for small pliable objects to 10d10 for huge objects such as boulders or trames. If there’s sufficient room to manoeuvre and warning a character may be allowed to make a Reaction check (Grace + Intuition) to respond in time and a dodge check to avoid being crushed. Depending on the circumstances this either avoids or mitigates the amount of damage taken and armour soak can be applied but this is at storyteller discretion.

Heat

At apparent temperatures above 40C (105F) characters suffer 1 damage in Hyperthermia each day, minus any soak provided by protective gear or shelter, or other cooling. The amount of damage is increased by 1 for every 20 degrees above 40C.

Heat Exhaustion

Major exertion in heat such as combat, climbing, or running is difficult. At the beginning of each day in the heat make a Fortitude check vs 16+1 per 20 degrees C. If the character succeeds they endure the heat but if they fail they suffer a -3 penalty on all such activities for the day.

Cold

At apparent temperatures below 0C (32F) characters without sufficient garb suffer 1 damage in Hypothermia each day, minus any soak provided by protective gear, shelter, or other heating. The amount of damage is increased by 1 for every 10 degrees below 0C

Frostbite

Each day spent in cold temperature with exposed or wet skin brings the risk of frostbite. At the end of each day in the cold make a Fortitude check vs 16+1 per -10 degrees C. If the character succeeds then nothing happens but if they fail they have frostbite and suffer an additional point of damage. For each day spent without mitigation the character is at risk of tissue necrosis with cheeks, nose, fingers, toes, and ears most susceptible. Roll 1d10 and consul the chart to see what extremity is affected. If this issue is not treated with a Medical check at difficulty 16 the extremity becomes gangrenous and is now an injury that imposes a relevant penalty (e.g. Grace, Appearance, or Perception)

Extreme Cold

At temperatures below -30 characters without sufficient garb must do the above checks every hour.

Result	Body Part
1	No effect
2	Left hand fingers
3	Left foot toes
4	Left ear
5	Nose
6	Right ear
7	Cheeks
8	Right foot toes
9	Right hand fingers
10	No effect

Dehydration

Characters can go without water for a number of days equal to 1/2 their Fortitude. At the beginning of each day a character goes without water after this point they must roll a Fortitude check vs. 15+2 per additional day without water. If the character succeeds they endure but take 1 point of unsoakable damage. If the character fails they take 3 points of damage and suffer a -3 penalty to all activities for the day.

Starvation

At the end of a week without any food and every week thereafter a character must make a Fortitude check vs. difficulty 17. If the character succeeds they endure the hunger and suffer only a -1 penalty to actions, however if they fail they enter a progressive decline outlined in the following chart.
Each week the character eats sufficient food they ascend the chart.
Each week they eat insufficient food they remain in the current state.
Each week they do not eat any food they descend to the next phase.

Stage	Effect
Phase 1	-13 to actions
Phase 2	-5 to all actions, 1/2 health damage
Phase 3	-10 to all actions, reduced to 1 health
Marasmus / Death	Every day roll 1d10. On anything but a 10 the character dies of cardiac arrest

Note: Tamaa can survive without food by feeding on emotions. When starved of both they do not suffer the penalties above but instead progress towards a feral state.

Fire

Fire deals 1d10 stress and 1 point of Critical damage per round and cannot be soaked. Fire can be extinguished by dedicating a round to a Grace + Athletics or Survival check vs. a difficulty of 14 or by fully submerging oneself in water, dirt, or some other non-flammable substance. Alchemists fire deals 1d10 stress and 2 points of Critical damage and requires a check at difficulty 18 to put out as even submersion does not quell such a cruel substance.

Breathing

Characters can hold their breath for 1/2 of Fortitude squared and rounded in minutes (see Chart below). Characters take 3d10 dmg each round they spend submerged after this. Each time a character is wounded or engages in serious exertion while holding their breath the length of time is halved.

Fortitude	Duration
1	2 minutes
2	5 minutes
3	10 minutes
4	15 minutes
5	20 minutes
6	35 minutes
7	50 minutes
8	65 minutes
9	80 minutes
10	100 minutes

Acid

Acids do Critical damage according to potency.

Illness or Poison

The damage value of the condition minus 1/2 of Fortitude.