A Critical Wound represents catastrophic trauma that incapacitates an Operator and fills a Critical Wound Slot. A Critical Injury describes the specific lasting consequence of that trauma.
When lethal damage reduces an Operator to 0 Health, use the attack’s Hit Location to determine which Critical Injury table applies. Psychic damage, Hot Dive Snapback, and damage caused by Strain use their own Critical Injury tables instead of a Hit Location.
Roll 1d100 and apply the following modifiers:
- +5 for each point of damage that would reduce Health below 0.
- +10 for each active Critical Injury.
These modifiers stack. A modified result above 100 counts as 100.
For example, an Operator at 3 Health suffers 7 Final Damage. The first 3 damage reduces them to 0 Health, while the remaining 4 damage exceeds 0. The Critical Injury roll therefore gains +20.
Consult the appropriate Critical Injury table and apply the result for the affected Hit Location. If an arm or leg was struck, the injury affects that specific limb.
Critical Injury effects apply in addition to Incapacitation caused by the Critical Wound.
Critical Injury tables:
- Head Critical Injuries
- Torso Critical Injuries
- Arm Critical Injuries
- Leg Critical Injuries
- Psychic Critical Injuries
- Snapback Critical Injuries
- Strain Critical Injuries
Injury Terms
Critical Injury entries use a small set of terms to describe immediate danger, treatment requirements, recovery, and lasting consequences.
These terms have the same meaning wherever they appear in the Critical Injury tables.
Unstable
An Unstable injury is immediately life-threatening.
The injury states how long the character has before death, such as 1d6 rounds, 1d6 minutes, or 1d6 hours.
When this time expires, the character dies unless the injury has been stabilized.
Stabilization prevents immediate death but does not remove the Critical Injury, begin recovery, or satisfy any additional treatment requirements.
If an injury states that survival requires Advanced Treatment or Extraordinary Treatment, stabilization only delays death. The required treatment must still be completed before the new deadline expires.
Treatment Required
An injury marked Treatment Required does not begin recovering until it has been properly treated.
Treatment may involve setting and immobilizing a broken bone, closing a major wound, safely removing a lodged object, cleaning damaged tissue, correcting a dislocation, or another procedure appropriate to the injury.
Stabilization does not satisfy Treatment Required unless the care provided also addresses the injury itself.
Advanced Treatment
An injury that refers to Advanced Treatment requires surgery or another specialized medical procedure.
Basic treatment may stabilize the patient and satisfy ordinary treatment requirements, but it cannot prevent a permanent consequence that specifically requires Advanced Treatment.
Advanced Treatment must be completed successfully before the injury finishes recovering.
Extraordinary Treatment
An injury that requires Extraordinary Treatment cannot be adequately treated with ordinary medical resources.
Extraordinary Treatment may require experimental surgery, organ replacement, extensive neurological repair, major tissue reconstruction, or another exceptional procedure appropriate to the injury.
The necessary specialist, equipment, facility, and technology depend on the treatment required.
Extraordinary Treatment cannot normally be attempted without the appropriate specialized medical Expertise.
Permanent
Some Critical Injuries list a Permanent consequence.
Permanent consequences remain after the injury has otherwise recovered. They may include lost limbs, destroyed senses, permanent Attribute reductions, paralysis, or other lasting impairments.
If the injury states that a Permanent consequence can be prevented by Advanced Treatment or Extraordinary Treatment, that treatment must be completed successfully before the injury finishes recovering.
Permanent consequences can only be removed later by treatment, augmentation, magic, or another effect capable of restoring the lost function.
Permanent Attribute Reductions
A permanent Attribute reduction lowers the character’s natural Attribute by the listed amount.
An Attribute cannot be reduced below 0.
Recalculate any Sub-Attributes or other values derived from the reduced Attribute immediately.
A permanently reduced Attribute may later be increased through normal advancement. This represents adaptation, rehabilitation, or retraining, but does not restore a missing limb, destroyed sense, paralysis, or another separate consequence of the injury.
If an injury states that Advanced Treatment or Extraordinary Treatment can prevent an Attribute reduction, that treatment must be completed successfully before the injury finishes recovering. Otherwise, the reduction takes effect when recovery ends.
Attributes Reduced to 0
If a character’s natural Strength, Agility, Fortitude, Logic, Resolve, Charisma, Instinct, or Anima is permanently reduced to 0, they are no longer viable as an Operator.
Depending on the Attribute, injury, and circumstances, the character may die, fall into a coma, suffer total physical incapacity, lose meaningful awareness, or otherwise become unable to participate in play.
Temporary bonuses, equipment, augmentation, magic, and situational modifiers do not prevent this consequence. The character’s natural Attribute must be restored above 0 before they can become playable again.
Head Critical Injuries
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Dazed Concussion: The impact leaves the character briefly unconscious, nauseated, and slow to focus. Become Unconscious for 1d6 minutes. After waking, suffer −10 to Perception, Memory, and tests requiring concentration. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Facial Injury: Bruising, cuts, swelling, or a damaged jaw interfere with sight and speech. Suffer −10 to Perception and tests requiring clear speech. Treatment Required. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Inner Ear Injury: Damage deep in the ear leaves the character dizzy and unsteady. Suffer −10 to hearing-based Perception, Athletics, Dodge, and tests involving balance. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Severe Concussion: The injury causes prolonged confusion, vomiting, and gaps in awareness. Become Unconscious for 1d6 hours. After waking, suffer −10 to Logic, Instinct, Perception, and Memory tests. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Eye Trauma: One eye is badly swollen, bloodied, or unable to focus. The affected eye is unusable while this injury remains. Suffer −10 to visual Perception and Marksmanship. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Cranial Trauma: The skull is cracked or the brain has been injured; blood may run from the ears, nose, or scalp. Become Unconscious for 1d6 hours. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, reduce Logic or Instinct by 1. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Destroyed Eye: One eye has been destroyed or is damaged badly enough to require removal. The affected eye is unusable. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, gain the effects of One-Eyed. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Catastrophic Head Injury: The head has suffered near-fatal damage; survival is uncertain even with immediate intervention. Become Unconscious and Unstable (Rounds). Extraordinary Treatment is required for survival. Permanent: If you survive, reduce Logic, Instinct, and Resolve by 2. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Torso Critical Injuries
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Bruised Torso: The chest or abdomen is badly bruised and painful when the character twists or breathes deeply. Suffer −5 to Vigor and Athletics. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Rib Injury: The chest wall is strained or badly bruised, making breathing and sudden movement painful. Suffer −10 to Vigor, Athletics, Melee, and Dodge. You cannot Sprint. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Deep Torso Injury: The injury has penetrated or badly damaged the chest or abdomen, leaving movement dangerous without proper care. Suffer −10 to Vigor and physical tests involving the torso. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Lung Injury: Blood, fluid, or damaged tissue makes every breath shallow and painful. Suffer −20 to Vigor and tests involving exertion. You cannot Sprint, Charge, or swim. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Internal Bleeding: Blood is filling a body cavity; the patient grows pale, cold, and weak as their condition worsens. Gain Bleeding (1). Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Severe Organ Trauma: A vital organ has been torn or crushed, leaving the body weak and unstable even after emergency care. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, reduce Fortitude by 1. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Organ Destruction: An organ has been destroyed or must be removed to prevent further damage. The exact organ and resulting limitation depend on the injury. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, reduce Fortitude by 2 and suffer a lasting impairment appropriate to the organ lost. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Catastrophic Torso Injury: The torso is torn open, crushed, or otherwise catastrophically compromised. Become Unstable (Rounds). Extraordinary Treatment is required for survival. Permanent: If you survive, reduce Fortitude by 3 and Strength by 2. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Arm Critical Injuries
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Arm Trauma: The arm is bruised, strained, or painfully twisted. Suffer −5 to tests using the affected arm. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Hand or Wrist Injury: The hand is swollen, cut, or badly sprained, making firm grip and precise movement painful. Suffer −10 to attacks, Grip, reloading, and fine manipulation using the affected hand. Treatment Required. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Joint or Tendon Injury: A damaged joint or torn connective tissue makes the arm unreliable until properly treated. The affected arm is unusable until treated. After treatment, suffer −10 to tests using it. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Severe Arm Injury: The limb has suffered extensive damage and cannot safely bear recoil, force, or weight. The affected arm is unusable for combat, heavy work, or other demanding activity. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Crippled Hand: The hand is badly mangled; fingers no longer close or respond correctly. The affected hand is unusable. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Major Nerve or Joint Damage: The arm hangs slack or twisted, with shattered structure or damaged nerve pathways. The affected arm is unusable. Advanced Treatment is required. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, the arm remains nonfunctional. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Near-Amputation: The limb is torn open or crushed almost beyond salvage. It may require amputation, extensive reconstruction, or functional replacement. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, the arm is lost or remains nonfunctional. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Destroyed Arm: The arm is lost or damaged beyond biological salvage. Gain Bleeding (3) and become Unstable (Rounds). Permanent: The arm remains nonfunctional until functionally replaced or restored through Extraordinary Treatment. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Leg Critical Injuries
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Leg Trauma: The leg is bruised, strained, or painfully twisted. Reduce Movement by 1 and suffer −5 to Athletics and Dodge. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Foot or Ankle Injury: The foot or ankle is swollen, cut, or badly sprained, making a stable stride difficult. Reduce Movement by 1. You cannot Sprint and suffer −10 to Athletics and Dodge when the affected leg is involved. Treatment Required. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Joint or Tendon Injury: The leg buckles under weight as damaged tissue fails to support it correctly. Reduce Movement by 2 and suffer −10 to Athletics, Dodge, and tests involving balance. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Severe Leg Injury: The limb has been badly damaged and cannot safely support the character’s weight. Your Movement becomes 1, and you cannot Sprint or Charge. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Crippled Leg: The leg is fractured, badly torn, or neurologically compromised enough to be unusable without support. Your Movement becomes 1. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Major Joint or Nerve Damage: The leg has lost meaningful function; its joint structure or nerve pathways no longer respond correctly. The affected leg is unusable. Advanced Treatment is required. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, the leg remains nonfunctional. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Near-Amputation: The limb is torn apart or crushed almost beyond salvage. It may require amputation, extensive reconstruction, or functional replacement. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, the leg is lost or remains nonfunctional. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Destroyed Leg: The leg is lost or damaged beyond biological salvage. Gain Bleeding (2) and become Unstable (Rounds). Permanent: The leg remains nonfunctional until functionally replaced or restored through Extraordinary Treatment. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Psychic Critical Injuries
Psychic Critical Injuries ignore Hit Location. When Psychic damage inflicts a Critical Wound, roll on this table instead of a location-based Critical Injury table.
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Psychic Shock: The mind recoils from the attack, leaving thoughts scattered and difficult to hold. Suffer −10 to Memory and tests requiring concentration. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Sensory Distortion: Phantom sounds, pain, or movement blur the line between the real and unreal. Suffer −10 to Perception and Insight. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Dissociation: The character feels distant from their body and actions, as if watching through a damaged feed. Suffer −10 to Instinct, Perception, and social tests requiring emotional awareness. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Memory Fracture: Important memories are jumbled, inaccessible, or poisoned by false recollections. Suffer −20 to Memory. The GM may rule that specific memories connected to the injury cannot be recalled at all until recovery. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Psychological Fracture: The assault leaves behind intrusive thoughts, paranoia, compulsions, fear, or another persistent disturbance appropriate to the attack. Suffer −10 to Resolve tests while the injury remains. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Identity Fracture: Memories, emotions, and sense of self no longer align cleanly. Suffer −20 to Resolve and Charisma tests while the injury remains. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, reduce Resolve or Charisma by 1. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Cortical Destruction: The assault has destroyed part of the brain responsible for a memory, sense, motor function, or other vital faculty. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, lose a sense or suffer a lasting impairment appropriate to the damaged faculty. Reduce Logic or Instinct by 2. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Catastrophic Psychic Collapse: The attack tears through consciousness itself, leaving the body slack, convulsing, or wholly unresponsive. Become Unconscious and Unstable (Rounds). Extraordinary Treatment is required for survival. Permanent: If you survive, reduce Logic, Resolve, and Instinct by 2. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Snapback Critical Injuries
Snapback Critical Injuries ignore Hit Location. When Hot Dive Snapback inflicts a Critical Wound, roll on this table instead of a location-based Critical Injury table.
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Neural Afterimage: The interface user returns to their body with Deep Interface sensations still layered over reality. Suffer −10 to Perception, Hacking, and tests requiring concentration. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Vestibular Shock: The sudden return of gravity and ordinary sensation leaves the interface user nauseated, shaking, and unsteady. Suffer −10 to Athletics, Dodge, and tests involving balance. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Sensory Feedback Injury: A burst of impossible light, noise, and phantom pain leaves the senses painfully oversensitive. Suffer −10 to Perception and Interface tests. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Motor-Signal Disruption: The brain briefly loses the ability to translate intention into movement; limbs jerk, lock, or lag behind thought. Suffer −10 to Agility tests and actions requiring fine manipulation. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Neural Microhemorrhage: Tiny vessels burst under the sudden neural load, bringing a violent blackout and a copper taste in the mouth. Become Unconscious for 1d6 minutes. Suffer −10 to Logic, Instinct, and Hacking tests. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Interface Seizure: The nervous system continues running Deep Interface patterns after the connection is gone, triggering full-body convulsions and cardiac stress. Become Unconscious for 1d6 hours. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, reduce Logic or Instinct by 1. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Cortical Burn: Runaway feedback has destroyed a portion of the brain’s sensory or motor pathways. The interface user may emerge blind, deaf, paralyzed, or unable to use a previously familiar interface. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, lose a sense or a major motor function appropriate to the damage. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Cascading Neural Failure: Forced disconnection causes a catastrophic cascade across the brain and autonomic nervous system. Become Unconscious and Unstable (Rounds). Extraordinary Treatment is required for survival. Permanent: If you survive, reduce Logic, Instinct, and Resolve by 2. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Strain Critical Injuries
Strain Critical Injuries ignore Hit Location. When Strain Damage inflicts a Critical Wound, roll on this table instead of a location-based Critical Injury table.
| Roll | Critical Injury |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Anima Fatigue: The caster’s connection to the Veil feels raw and overused, making it difficult to settle their thoughts around magic. Suffer −10 to Spellcasting and concentration tests. Recovery: 1 day + 1d4 days. |
| 16–30 | Veil Sickness: The caster shivers, sweats, and notices traces of magic where none should exist. Gain Fatigue (1) and suffer −10 to Perception and Willpower tests. Recovery: 2 days + 1d6 days. |
| 31–45 | Resonance Tremor: Uncontrolled magical resonance passes through the body in violent shakes, spasms, and flashes of phantom sensation. Suffer −10 to Spellcasting and actions requiring precise control. Treatment Required. Recovery: 4 days + 1d8 days. |
| 46–60 | Soul-Lash: Something has snapped back through the caster’s Anima, leaving them hollowed out and painfully exposed to nearby magical force. Suffer −10 to Spellcasting, Composure, and concentration tests. For Strain Resistance tests only, treat Anima as 2 lower, to a minimum of 0. Treatment Required. Recovery: 1 week + 1d10 days. |
| 61–70 | Anima Burn: Burned channels of power misfire through the caster’s nervous system, dropping them into unconsciousness. Become Unconscious for 1d6 minutes. For Strain Resistance tests only, treat Anima as 3 lower, to a minimum of 0. Recovery: 1 week + 2d6 days. |
| 71–80 | Veil Rupture: The boundary between the caster and the Veil tears open violently, leaving them rigid, bleeding, or trapped in an involuntary vision. Become Unconscious for 1d6 hours. Permanent: Without Advanced Treatment, reduce Anima or Resolve by 1. Recovery: 2 weeks + 2d6 days. |
| 81–90 | Anima Severance: Part of the caster’s connection to their soul has been burned away. The loss may manifest as a destroyed magical sense, a permanently severed talent, or a profound reduction in their ability to channel power. Permanent: Without Extraordinary Treatment, reduce Anima by 2 and lose access to one spell or other magical ability chosen by the player and GM. Recovery: 3 weeks + 2d8 days. |
| 91–00 | Anima Collapse: The caster’s connection to their own soul nearly fails altogether, leaving body and mind on the edge of extinguishing. Become Unconscious and Unstable (Rounds). Extraordinary Treatment is required for survival. Permanent: If you survive, reduce Anima, Logic, and Resolve by 2. Recovery: 4 weeks + 3d8 days. |
Critical Injury Recovery
Critical Injury Recovery durations assume access to ordinary 2092 clinical care, including modern drugs, surgical support, and supervised rehabilitation. Poor conditions or inadequate care may increase an injury’s Recovery duration at the GM’s discretion.
Once any required treatment has been completed, roll the Recovery duration listed by the Critical Injury. The injury remains active until this time has elapsed.
Critical Injuries do not use Recovery Hits. Instead, recovery can be accelerated through rest and medical care.
Once per week, if the character has spent at least 4 days resting, receiving care, or performing only light activity, make a Vigor Attribute Check.
For each positive Hit, reduce the remaining Recovery time by 1 additional day, to a maximum of 7 days reduced by a single weekly roll.
A failed test provides no additional recovery, but time still passes normally.
If the character has multiple active Critical Injuries, make only one recovery test per week. Any days removed by the test may be divided between those injuries as the player chooses.
A Complication adds 1d6 days to the remaining Recovery time of one active Critical Injury after applying any days removed by the successful test.
Strenuous activity, further injury, poor living conditions, or lack of necessary care may prevent the weekly recovery test at the GM’s discretion.