Something I have come across in my games, is too much death (or not enough death, but that's for a different day.) If a player is struck down, RAW, they die. Instead, this post is a guide to revive those players, but with injuries, like those presented in Battle Brothers.
First up, are hits to the head and face. On a hit to the head by a blunt weapon, you are just considered dead. A hit to the head with a cutting attack, you might be hit in the ear or jaw, causing horrible scarring or loss of hearing. A hit to the head with a piercing attack will either cause death, or possibly a loss of IQ. Slashes and blunt attacks to the face might cause broken noses (or missing noses), damaged eyes, missing teeth, or gaining a negative Appearance. An injured nose (or windpipe) causes temporary max fatigue and smell loss. Getting hit in the ear will cause hearing loss, either temporarily or for the rest of their life, depending on severity.
Hits to the body are much more forgiving. A piercing attack in the arm or leg might cause a pierced muscle, which will lower your combat skills temporarily or lower your basic move, depending on hit location. A blow to the vitals might collapse your lung partially, making you lose maximum FP, or maybe your heart was weakened, losing maximum HP. Getting hit in the arms might also make you lose striking ST temporarily, depending on the type of the wound.
Now, using this system requires a large balance of death and destruction. You might die, but three or four enemies will die in return. My favorite mechanic to add is using Will as a morale check, with enemies losing morale quickly as they take HP damage or watch their friends die. Same story goes for the brave adventurers, though they are definitely more fearless than the brigands of the north they've found. If you use a similar system (or this exists RAW and I somehow missed it) reach out! I'd love to hear how you run injuries in your games.
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