Deadly Blows Critical Hits Tables

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Weapons
Natural Attacks

Deadly Blows - Instructions

Deadly Blows is a set of six critical hit tables that can be used with most fantasy pen and paper role-playing games, providing both descriptive text and conditional effects for critical attack successes. Results are determined by attack type and a d100 die roll. Deadly Blows pulls no punches. The tables include broken bones, severed limbs, blindness, and many other dire results, but the in-game effects of these terrible injuries are determined by you and the other players at your table.

Using Deadly Blows is as simple as determining when a critical hit has occurred, then rolling the appropriate table by clicking one of the buttons above. The six tables that make up Deadly Blows are divided into three weapon categories: slashing, crushing and piercing; and three natural attack types: claw, bite, and bludgeon. Each result has three elements:

• Severity - A numeric measure of the damage done by the attack with a value of 1-4.
• Description - A short description of the attack result.
• Effects - The status effects created by the attack. Effects have both a description and a numeric value, ranging from 1-4.

Deadly Blows is system-agnostic. Prior to using the tables, you and the other players should decide how you're going to interpret results in the context of your campaign and chosen game system. Before adding critical hit damage to your game, you should:

• Determine what combat results produce critical damage.
• Decide who can inflict critical hits (everyone, named characters only, PCs only).
• Figure out how Severity affects damage done.
• Decide how to interpret Effects.
• Decide what to do with inapplicable results.

The Effects

Deadly Blows results can include one or more of the following Effects. Here's a full listing of all Effects, and a brief description of their meaning. Before using Deadly Blows you should consider how these will work within the context of your campaign and game system.

• Bleeding - Open wounds resulting in ongoing damage.
• Blinded - The target cannot see. This can be either a short- or long-term effect.
• Confused - Brain trauma resulting in an impaired mental state.
• Crippled - A wound that reduces overall physical capability, slowing movement or penalizing dexterity or agility.
• Deafened - The target cannot hear. This can be either a short- or long-term effect.
• Diseased - The target has been afflicted with either an infected wound or an illness.
• Dying - The most serious condition, this indicates the target will die without immediate medical or magical intervention.
• Entangled - Caught upon an obstacle or tangled up in their own gear.
• Knockback - Shoved out of position.
• Mute - The target cannot speak. This can be either a short- or long-term effect.
• Out - Knocked unconscious or disabled by pain.
• Pinned - Held in place by their opponent.
• Prone - Knocked off their feet.
• Scarred - A wound that leaves a long-term mark.
• Stunned - Temporarily confused or disoriented.