3rd edition Job table

[Drakyrias]

Perhaps I'm being dense but can someone help me read the critical failure entries?

I understand what the abbreviations mean, but is it pick your poison or do all apply?

I understand that on an 18 I'm supposed to use results after the / mark but in the case of crippling wounds its supposed to be in addition to damage rolled, which implies that in the cases of guards/soldiers I'm supposed to roll 2d/4d and they suffer a crippling injury.

This especially confuses me when multiple damage codes are listed for the same job (i.e. Military officer and 3d/3i, 5d)

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Drakyrias

I understand that on an 18 I'm supposed to use results after the / mark but in the case of crippling wounds its supposed to be in addition to damage rolled, which implies that in the cases of guards/soldiers I'm supposed to roll 2d/4d and they suffer a crippling injury.

This especially confuses me when multiple damage codes are listed for the same job (i.e. Military officer and 3d/3i, 5d)

The crucial point is that the / separates two completely separate outcomes, and doesn't just indicate alternatives within that word.

For the guard/soldier, if they critically fail, but don't roll an 18, they take 2d damage, and that's all. If they roll an 18, they take 4d damage and a random limb is crippled. How you pick the limb is left open, the obvious options are to number the arms and legs and roll 1d, re-rolling 5s and 6s, or roll repeatedly on the random hit location table until you come up with a limb. If you want to allocate the damage in several wounds, you're at liberty to do so.

For the officer, the basic outcome is just 3d injury, and the outcome on an 18 is loss of three months' income and 5d of injury.

Does that make more sense now?

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Drakyrias

Perhaps I'm being dense but can someone help me read the critical failure entries?

I understand what the abbreviations mean, but is it pick your poison or do all apply?

I understand that on an 18 I'm supposed to use results after the / mark but in the case of crippling wounds its supposed to be in addition to damage rolled, which implies that in the cases of guards/soldiers I'm supposed to roll 2d/4d and they suffer a crippling injury.

This especially confuses me when multiple damage codes are listed for the same job (i.e. Military officer and 3d/3i, 5d)

All the appropriate results apply.

Using "Military officer or knight" from the Jobs Table (p. B194) as an example, it goes like this:
On an ordinary critical failure, you lose 2 months income and take 3d generic damage (i.e., don't bother rolling for hit location or worry about whether it's all one wound or several).
On a critical failure that's a natural 18, you lose three months' income and you take 5d generic damage and you lose the job.

For a "Guard or soldier" (p. B194):
On an ordinary critical failure, take 3d generic damage.
On a natural 18 lose your job and take 5d generic damage.

Frankly, I'm lost on why you think crippling wounds apply, though if they've role-played a skirmish or other job-related combat and received a crippling injury there, the generic damage is additional to, but separate from, any unhealed damage from that injury. I.E., the generic damage isn't the crippling injury being aggravated, but the crippling injury damage doesn't substitute for the generic damage, either.

As an aside, I assume lose your job means a complete loss, not a demotion. If our former military officer/knight wants to be a soldier/guard with his old outfit, he has to try for that job like everyone else.

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by johndallman

The crucial point is that the / separates two completely separate outcomes, and doesn't just indicate alternatives within that word.

For the guard/soldier, if they critically fail, but don't roll an 18, they take 2d damage, and that's all. If they roll an 18, they take 4d damage and a random limb is crippled. How you pick the limb is left open, the obvious options are to number the arms and legs and roll 1d, re-rolling 5s and 6s, or roll repeatedly on the random hit location table until you come up with a limb. If you want to allocate the damage in several wounds, you're at liberty to do so.

For the officer, the basic outcome is just 3d injury, and the outcome on an 18 is loss of three months' income and 5d of injury.

Does that make more sense now?

Thanks. That explained it perfectly!