[House Rule][Martial Arts] Separated Vitals.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Hmmm, but most people who get stabbed in the heart and get immediate medical attention survive, but a ruptured aorta is fatale in 3 seconds (even if a surgeon already has you opened up, according to one source.)

So how do I determine if a wound to the heart has opened up the aorta or simply pierced the heart wall.

And, should the aorta be targeted after all?

Maybe a ruptured aorta is simply a good explanation for a crit table result that increases damage?

My feeling is that the critical table isn't enough, since the same thing would apply to any critical to the vitals, and also many criticals do no additional damage; I don't think that's entirely representative of the chances and doesn't make the heart hits scary enough. I also like leveraging the bleeding mechanic, which also stands to help those with IT:No Blood (which doesn't help vs criticals so bloodloss can't rightfully be considered as an explanation for the extra damage), because it should help them.

Maybe do something like, on a heart hit, roll 1d and on a 1 you fully transect the aorta. For more complexity each result on the die represents a partial increase in bleeding, with 6 being no more bleeding than the RAW suggests for arteries, 1 being bloodloss in seconds, and then degrees in between. Or something like that.

[starslayer]

I'm not sure about this- People HAVE been shot in the heart, as in bullet goes in one side, and hangs out inside the beating organ, and survived WITHOUT emergency surgery to repair the blood spewing organ.

abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117084&page=1#.T2qB8dXAFnQ

As such I would be inclined to just let the regular damage bonus/HT check stand as is, but perhaps note that 'Death check failure from heart damage is an additional -4 to resuscitate/repair', however that would only be worth nothing in settings like my own campaigns as I allow skills like Surgery, healing spells, and other abilities that restore HP quickly and globally to 'bring back' someone who has failed a death check within the last two minutes so long as they have not exceeded -5xHP under the blanket 'your not dead until brain activity stops from suffocation or obliteration' (First aid extends that window, but will never repair the damage).

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by starslayer

I'm not sure about this- People HAVE been shot in the heart, as in bullet goes in one side, and hangs out inside the beating organ, and survived WITHOUT emergency surgery to repair the blood spewing organ.

abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117084&page=1#.T2qB8dXAFnQ

Such an anomalous result would still be possible with a low initial damage roll and a critical success on the HT roll vs. Bleeding. Which is why it's very rare for people to survive being shot in the heart without medical attention.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

Maybe do something like, on a heart hit, roll 1d and on a 1 you fully transect the aorta. For more complexity each result on the die represents a partial increase in bleeding, with 6 being no more bleeding than the RAW suggests for arteries, 1 being bloodloss in seconds, and then degrees in between. Or something like that.

I think that such a dice roll should be triggered by a certain amount of damage--perhaps a major wound--so that attacks that barely penetrate DR don't cause instant death.

Something like: In the event of a major wound, roll 1d6. On a 1, an aorta has been ruptured*. On any other result, roll HT or suffer from a Heart Attack.

*Roll HT-10 every round and lose HP equal to margin of failure due to blood loss. Without Magical, Supernatural, or Super-science intervention, there is no way to stop this blood loss.


This would be in addition to increased bleeding for any heart wound.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I think that such a dice roll should be triggered by a certain amount of damage--perhaps a major wound--so that attacks that barely penetrate DR don't cause instant death.

Something like: In the event of a major wound, roll 1d6. On a 1, an aorta has been ruptured*. On any other result, roll HT or suffer from a Heart Attack.

*Roll HT-10 every round and lose HP equal to margin of failure due to blood loss. Without Magical, Supernatural, or Super-science intervention, there is no way to stop this blood loss.


This would be in addition to increased bleeding for any heart wound.

I like that, nice mod. Keep it to being for major wounds only.