Wounds, Healing, & Death
When a character is a hit with an attack and has no way to defend or mitigate it, the location struck suffers a Wound. The location of the Wound determines the effect it has on the character (as explained below). In Citadel, there are both mundane and magical ways to be healed from your Wounds. However, if Wounds are not tended to properly, it could lead to a character's Death.
Hit Locations
Citadel is a live-action or “boffer” combat game, which uses padded weapons and bird seed packets to represent weapons and effects. These are then used in a “Hit Location” system to track damage and resolve combat.
Each creature has five separate hit locations.
Right & Left Arm - each count as a single location and are measured from the wrist bone to the top of the arm
Right & Left Leg - each count as a single location and are measured from the ankle bone to the top of your thigh
Torso - your shoulders to the top of your legs (buttocks count as torso)
There are ways to cancel or avoid attacks but if a character is not able to do so, it causes a Wound to the location struck.
States of Being
The default state of a character is Conscious and Healthy.
Conscious - The character is awake and aware of their surroundings
Healthy - The character does not have any Wounds or other in-game conditions currently affecting them.
Other possible states a character may find themselves in include:
Unconscious - The character is not awake, cannot activate abilities, and is not aware of their surroundings. If Unconscious due to Wounds, an Unconscious character will awaken one (1) minute after being Stabilized or given other treatment. Regardless of the strength of the healing effect, all the character’s Wounds would be considered Stabilized. However, they may still be considered “Walking Wounded” (see below) if the strength of the effect was not enough to cure all of their Wounds.
Wounded - The character has suffered one (1) or more Wounds. See Wound Location Effects below.
Bleeding Out - The character's Wounds are so severe that they will die if not Stabilized. The moment a character begins Bleeding Out, they should keep track of their five (5) minute Bleed Out Timer. If five minutes pass before the character is Stabilized or otherwise assisted, the character is then Dead. Bleed Out Timers always pause when another character begins to Apply Pressure (see below), or administer a Stabilize or other healing effect, but will resume where it left off if that assistance is disrupted before the treatment is finished.
Walking Wounded - The character’s Wounds are Stable and they are Conscious. They will naturally regain a Healthy state, but the length that they remain Walking Wounded is determined by what additional treatments, if any, they were given.
Stabilize - The character will fully recover in one (1) hour if no other treatment is administered.
Accelerate Healing - The character will fully recover in thirty (30) minutes if no other treatment is administered.
Chirurgery - If a Physicker stitches up a character's Wound, it will recover in thirty (30) minutes. However, if the character was also given an Accelerate Healing effect, then stitched Wounds recover fully in fifteen (15) minutes.
A character that is Walking Wounded must move carefully so as not to re-open their Wounds. They are considered to be under a Slow effect (i.e no more than one (1) step per second) and may not participate in any strenuous activity. Strenuous activity is defined as: wielding a weapon or shield (besides warding off a Killing Blow), activating any magical effects, activating magic items, channeling magic, and performing physical challenges (such as holding on to a rope).
If a character does attempt any strenuous activity, or if they take a new Wound, all previously Wounded areas are considered Wounded again. If this causes the character to have three (3) Limb Wounds and/or a Torso Wound, they immediately fall Unconsciousness and begin Bleeding Out.
Help: A Walking Wounded character may be given Help by another character. “Help” requires a character’s Concentration, and requires the Walking Wounded and Helping character to be within five (5) feet or “fist bump” distance of each other. The Help effect represents how they are lending their strength, balance, and aid to the Walking Wounded character. A Walking Wounded character who is given Help may walk at a normal speed and participate in physical challenges (such as rope traversal or jumping challengings) without reopening their Wounds.
Dead (less than 5 minutes) - A character who has suffered a Death effect or whose Bleed Out Timer has ended, is considered Dead. However, the Spirit has not yet departed the Body. A character who is Dead should begin a five (5) minute Death Timer. During those five minutes, if their body is still fully intact (see Corpse Mutilation below) they may be brought back to life with a Resuscitate. A Resuscitate effect always takes five (5) minutes to complete. When a Resuscitate effect is initiated, the Dead character may pause their Death Timer. If the Resuscitate is interrupted before its completion, the Death Timer resumes from where it was paused. If Resuscitate is initiated again after the interruption, the previous time spent for the first Resuscitate does not count toward the completion time for any subsequent attempts. After being Resuscitated, the character is considered to be healed from all Wounds and Purified from all effects, but suffers an unavoidable Disrupt Essence effect.
Dead (5 minutes or more) - A character who had been Dead for five (5) or more minutes cannot be Resuscitated. The player should go Out-of-Play, leaving some identifying piece of their costuming or props and any tagged phys-reps on the ground to represent their body. They must then go directly to Monster Town to await further instructions. The character's allies may find a way to Resurrect the Dead character.
Permanent Death - If a character suffered a Death effect, and either the character was not Resurrected by the next dawn or dusk or their Resurrection process failed, that character becomes Permanently Dead. The player of the character would have to create a new character.
Wound Location Effects
One Arm Wound: The character is unable to hold any tagged items with the Wounded arm (including Shields) and the arm should hang at the player's side. A second hit to an already Wounded arm immediately causes a Torso Wound. The character remains Conscious indefinitely. (Shields strapped to the arm instead of held in the hand can remain but may not be used to block while that arm is Wounded.)
One Leg Wound: Cannot be walked upon. The player should drop to one knee or stand still with their weight visibly on the other leg. They may hop a maximum of three times to move into a better position, but must drop to their knee after that. The character may only crawl until the leg is fully healed. With the assistance of another character they may move at a normal walking pace. The character remains Conscious indefinitely.
Two Limb Wounds (any combination): Same as above. The character suffers the effects of the respective limb that is Wounded, but remains Conscious indefinitely. With two leg Wounds, the character must drop to their knees, and, with assistance, may only walk at a Slow pace.
Although a character with up to two (2) Limb Wounds is not in danger of Bleeding Out, they are not considered Stable - and therefore not considered Walking Wounded - until their Wound has been treated. They will suffer the effects of the Wounded location until a healing effect is administered to their Wound. If treated with a Stabilize, Accelerate Healing, or chirurgery, they would become Walking Wounded. If treated with a Heal Limb Wound, they will fully recover from one (1) of their Limb Wounds in one (1) minute.
Three Limb Wounds (any combination): The character immediately falls Unconscious and is Bleeding Out. Their five (5) minute Bleed Out Timer begins. If they are not Stabilized or Healed in another way before the five minutes are complete, they die. The player must fall to the ground (or kneel, depending on environmental conditions), may not speak, look around, use any In-Game abilities, or interact with other players. They may only respond to Out-of-Play questions, such as when another character examines their Wounds with Healing Ways.
Torso Wound: The character immediately falls Unconscious and is Bleeding Out. Their five (5) minute Bleed Out Timer begins. If they are not Stabilized or Healed in another way before the five minutes are complete, they die. The player must fall to the ground (or kneel, depending on environmental conditions), may not speak, look around, use any in game abilities, or interact with other players. They may only respond to out-of-play questions, such as when another character examines their Wounds with Healing Ways.
Carrying a Wounded, Unconscious, or Dead Character
When carrying a Wounded, Unconscious, or Dead character, you may only move at a slow walk. To carry another character, the player must roleplay carrying the individual and the players must stay either in physical contact (following the consent rules for physical contact) or within one (1) foot of each other at all times. Always follow the Rules of Physical Contact when you roleplay carrying someone. You cannot have anything else in your hands while carrying another character. Two or more characters may carry a Wounded, Unconscious, or Dead character at whatever speed they desire.
Moving faster than a slow walk while carrying a character that is Stabilized or Walking Wounded will immediately cause their Wounds to re-open.
Corpse Mutilation
A dead body can be further damaged to the point that Resuscitation is impossible, and any Resurrection attempts may be more difficult or also impossible. This can only be done to a target that is already dead. In-play this represents acts of significant violence on the target body, such as decapitation or removing internal organs. In order to perform this act, the character should roleplay it while stating a slow three count of "Mutilating 3...Mutilating 2...Mutilating 1." Just like a Killing Blow, this can be interrupted at any time by striking the person or weapon doing the mutilation. This can be a flat and does not require that damage be done to interrupt the process.
Killing Blows
A Killing Blow may be delivered by hand (see rules on physical contact) or by weapon. Delivering a killing blow requires hovering one’s hand or weapon a few inches beside the person for the entire duration of a slow three count of “Killing Blow 3...Killing Blow 2...Killing Blow 1”. Upon completion of the full count the target is Dead. The character can still be Resuscitated by the appropriate skill or spell. A Killing Blow may be interrupted by striking the weapon or the person. This can be a flat attack and does not require that damage be done to interrupt the process.
A Killing Blow may only be performed on an Unconscious or completely helpless target. An effect will specify whether the character is allowed to ward off a Killing Blow while under its effects.
Untreated Wounds
An Untreated Wound is a Wound that has been allowed to heal on its own with no additional intervention. Untreated Wounds takes weeks or even months. It is a long and slow process and often occurs between events. A character can only have an Untreated Wound on up to two (2) limbs. Three (3) or more Limbs or a Torso Wound would cause the character to begin to Bleed Out.
Obvious Wounds and Applying Pressure
Obvious Wounds - All characters can see if a person is Wounded and from which hit location. While within arm’s reach of a target, they may ask "Are you Wounded?" and "In which location?". If the target is Conscious, they may respond In-Play, but if they are Unconscious all questions and answers are considered Out-of-Play and the Wounded character should clarify that to the asking character after they respond.
Apply Pressure - Any character may Apply Pressure to a Wounded character to pause their Bleed Out Timer. The character must roleplay applying pressure to the targeted character (being sure to follow the rules of Physical Contact). The moment they stop Applying Pressure, the Wounded character's Bleed Out Timer resumes from where it left off. A character with additional healing skills, such as Healing Ways or Trained Physicker, may use those skills while Applying Pressure, but no other in-game skills may be used.
Treating Wounds
Tending a Wound stops a character from bleeding to death, as well as speeds the healing process. The time it takes to treat a Wound varies from skill to skill. For example, Healing Ways includes the ability to Stabilize a target that is Bleeding Out with one (1) minute of Concentration and roleplay, whereas a Wizard or Channeler could instantly cast a Heal Limb Wound spell on a target, or a Physicker could quickly administer an Accelerate Healing brew.
However, regardless of the method of healing, a Wound always requires one (1) minute before it is considered fully healed or before the target is considered Walking Wounded.
There are a number of ways Wounds can be treated. Physickers specialize in treating wounds by bandaging, stitching, and administering poultices and brews. There are also ways to Magically treat a Wound.
Stabilize - The most basic treatment for a Wound. A Stabilize will stop a character from bleeding to Death or provide basic healing for a Limb Wound. One (1) minute after being Stabilized, the character is considered to be Walking Wounded and will regain Consciousness (if they were Unconscious due to Wounds). If no other treatment is given, they will fully recover from all their Wounds after one (1) hour.
Accelerate Healing - This effect immediately Stabilizes the target. If no other treatment is administered, they will become Walking Wounded in one (1) minute after the treatment has ended, and fully recovered from their Wounds after thirty (30) minutes.
Chirurgery - This is the specialty of a Trained Physicker. The Physicker stitches the Wounds of their patient, allowing them to heal faster than normal. After receiving Chirurgery, a target is considered Walking Wounded and will fully heal from all their Wounds after thirty (30) minutes. If Chirurgery is combined with an Accelerate Healing effect, the time until they are fully healed is halved to fifteen (15) minutes.
Ignore Limb Wound - This effect allows a character to act as if one (1) Limb is not Wounded. See the Game Effects listing for more information.
Heal Limb Wound - This is a magical effect. It will instantly Stabilize a target, and, after one (1) minute, fully heal any single limb Wound. This cannot heal a Wounded torso.
Heal Grievous Wounds - This is a magical effect. It will instantly Stabilize a target, and, after one (1) minute, fully heal three (3) Wounds, one of which may be a torso Wound.
Heal Mortal Wounds - This is a magical effect. It will instantly Stabilize a target, and, after one (1) minute, fully heal the target of ALL Wounds.
Combining Effects
Characters may combine different methods of healing to reduce the time necessary to recuperate, such as Accelerate Healing and Chirurgery. However, you can never use the same effect again to further decrease your healing time. For example, you cannot take two Accelerate Healing brews and be fully recovered in fifteen minutes, nor can you cast Heal Limb Wound multiple times to heal a Torso Wound.
Character Death
The world of Tokavah is a dangerous place, especially for those brave adventurers who dare to come to Kallarai and Delve within the Citadel.
When a person dies, whether that is from a Death effect, a Killing Blow, or from Bleeding Out, their Spirit remains within their body for a short time. If your character dies, and your body is still fully intact (as in, it has not been Mutilated or Disintegrated) stay where you are and begin a Death Timer of five (5) minutes. During those five minutes, you may be brought back to life with a Resuscitate. A Resuscitate effect always takes five (5) minutes to complete. When a Resuscitate effect is initiated, the Dead character may pause their Death Timer. If the Resuscitate is interrupted before its completion, the Death Timer resumes from where it was paused. After being Resuscitated, the character is considered to be healed from all Wounds and Purified from all effects, but suffers an unavoidable Disrupt Essence.
However, if you are not Resuscitated during that time, your character's Spirit has left their body. All active effects on you are removed. Go Out-of-Play and find the nearest Marshal. Ideally, you should leave behind some identifying piece of costuming to represent your body, so others will realize what has occurred. If there is not a Marshal nearby, you should go straight to Monster Town and notify a Marshal there. They will record your death, and provide you with additional instructions.
Before the Citadel opened, raising someone from the dead after their Spirit had departed was mere legend and folk tale. Now, however, Essence has strengthened in ways never before seen in living memory, and rumors abound of powerful spells that can raise the dead. There are also reports of ghosts of the recently dead visiting their family and friends to give a final goodbye before fading from the mortal realm at the next dawn or dusk.
Resurrection exists as a game mechanic, but it is almost unknown at the start of the game and the methods for returning the dead to life must be discovered through the course of play. Returning from the beyond is not an easy process, and may have unintended side effects for the character, such as suffering temporary or permanent effects, new makeup requirements, or new roleplaying requirements. If a side effect does occur, Citadel staff will collaborate with the player to ensure that the effect introduces a fun, new way to interact with the game, and does not lead to negative feelings Out-of-Play or frustration during play.
Permanent Character Death
Characters that have not been Resurrected by the next dawn or dusk, or if their Resurrection process fails, suffer a Permanent Death. The character has passed fully into the beyond and cannot be returned. The player would be required to create a new character. This may mean you NPC the rest of the event and come in the next event as your new character, or it might mean you create a new character right away. We'll work with you to determine what would fit best with your desires and the narrative of the game.