Scars and Wounds

This optional system gives GMs a way to assign scars and major wounds to their PCs. Before implementing this system, consider these rules carefully. Major wounds can have major effects upon play, and some groups may not appreciate such debilitations, preferring the threat of death and an unscarred resurrection over a thematic crippling.

Life on the sea isn’t always easy or safe, and, though they may have a medic on board, not all ships have magical healing on-hand. Pirates and sailors routinely sport peg legs, eye patches, and hook hands, evidence of rough life on the high seas. A major wound might happen when a creature suffers a critical hit, when it drops to 0 hit points, or when it takes over half its hit points in damage. To determine the wound, roll on the Major Wounds table. Most major wounds can be healed with powerful magical healing such as the heal spell, while lost limbs can only be healed by the regenerate spell.

A character that loses a limb might want to compensate for the loss by replacing it with a prosthetic. The Prosthetics table lists the types of prosthetics available.

Eye Patch: An eye patch is a patch of cloth or leather that covers a single eye or eye socket and ties behind the head. While wearing an eye patch you have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls, as if you had lost an eye. If you are already missing an eye and cover that eye socket with the patch, the eye patch doesn’t cause any further hindrance. In addition, you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks when interacting with anyone associated with or fearful of pirates.

Hook Hand: A hook hand is a metal hook with a socket built on the base of the hook to fit over a wrist. If you aren’t missing a hand, you have disadvantage on Dexterity checks that require precise control and coordination and can’t use items that require two hands while wearing the hook hand. Your unarmed strikes with the hook hand deal piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage.

Peg Leg. A peg leg is a wooden stump with a socket built on one end to fit over your knee. If you aren’t missing a leg, using a peg leg reduces your speed by 10 feet. You can carve a hidden compartment into your peg leg and hide items weighing up to 2 pounds in it. If you are missing a leg, your speed is only reduced by 10 feet instead of halved when using a peg leg. If you are missing all your legs and replace them with peg legs, your speed is halved instead of 0. Peg legs assume your knee is mostly intact. If it isn’t, you must use a prosthetic leg instead.

Prosthetic: A prosthetic is a realistic simulation of your missing hand, arm, leg, or foot. It is usually carved of wood and painted to match your skin tone. Prosthetic legs allow you to walk with halved speed and prosthetic hands and arms allow you to hold an item, such as a shield or holy symbol, in a fixed position. You can carve a hidden compartment in your prosthetic limb. A prosthetic hand or foot’s compartment can hold one item weighing less than 1 pound. A prosthetic arm or leg’s compartment can hold items weighing up to 2 pounds.

Table 5-06: Prosthetic Items

Item	Cost	Weight
Eye patch	1 sp	—
Hook hand	1 gp	1 lb.
Peg leg	1 gp	5 lbs..
Prosthetic hand	5 sp	1 lb.
Prosthetic foot	5 sp	2 lbs.
Prosthetic arm	5 gp	3 lbs.
Prosthetic leg	10 gp	6 lbs.

Table 5-07: Major Wounds

d20	Wound
1-5	Minor Scar. You have a small scar from your encounter. It doesn’t hinder you and might prove a good conversation piece.
6-10	Impressive Wound. You survive your ordeal and the wound it caused heals into an impressive display of your might. You have advantage on Charisma checks when interacting with pirates, sailors, soldiers, and other humanoids of battle and war.
11-14	Major Scar. You have a severe scar that is clearly visible and can only be hidden by magical means. You have disadvantage on all Charisma checks except when interacting with pirates, sailors, soldiers, and other humanoids of battle and war.
15-17	Loss of a Finger. You lose one of your fingers. If you lose 3 or more fingers, you gain no benefit from the finesse property on weapons and you have disadvantage on Dexterity ability checks that require precise control and coordination such as picking a lock, shuffling cards, disabling a trap, or playing an instrument.
18	Loss of an Eye. You have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls. If you lose all of your eyes, you’re blinded.
19	Loss of a Foot or Leg. Your speed is halved and you have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks that require you to move. If you lose all of your legs, your speed becomes 0 and you can’t benefit from any bonus to your speed.
20	Loss of an Arm or Hand. You can’t use items that require two hands and you can only hold one object at a time. In addition, you have disadvantage on Strength checks that require both arms. A spellcaster can still cast spells with somatic components as long as it has one free hand available.