A character who suffers a Critical Wound is normally Incapacitated rather than killed outright. They mark a Critical Wound Slot, resolve the associated Critical Injury, and are removed from the fight.
Being Incapacitated does not mean the character is dying. Unless the Critical Injury is Unstable, the character remains alive until another rule or circumstance threatens their life.
A character dies when any of the following occurs:
- They suffer a Critical Wound while all of their Critical Wound Slots are filled.
- An Unstable injury’s death timer expires before the character receives the required treatment.
- An effect specifically states that it causes death.
- Survival is clearly impossible given the circumstances.
Death is otherwise never an automatic consequence of becoming Incapacitated.