Impairment in Combat

Entering combat is a risky proposition, fraught with unforseeable dangers. Sometimes, players and DMs may want to explore these unforeseen consequences of combat in more depth. The rules of impairment presented here provide options for more brutal, realistic combat. Beware, all who enter here: this is no easy path you walk.

Types of Impairment

There are four kinds of impairments: minor, major, crippling, and deadly. The more damage a character takes, the more extreme their impairments become. Characters gain a minor impairment at 75% of their max health, a major impairment at 50% of their max health, a crippling impairment at 25% of their max health, and a deadly impairment when they drop to 0 hit points. Warning: impairments stack! A character at 25% health will have a minor, a major, and a crippling impairment, and they may all affect the same thing. Be careful what you risk.

Minor Impairments

When a creature drops to 75% of its maximum health, it must roll for a minor impairment. Minor impairments weaken a creature slightly, but do not damage its effectiveness in combat. A creature can only have one minor impairment at a time, unless it is gained from spells or other mechanics. Minor impairments gained through taking damage vanish if the creature heals past 75% of its max health. To determine a minor impairment, roll on the table below.

1d100 Impairment 01-10 No impairment 11-20 The creature's speed is reduced by 5 feet 21-30 Damage from the creature's weapon attacks and unarmed strikes is reduced by 2 31-40 Damage from the creature's spell attacks is reduced by 2 41-50 The creature's attack bonus is reduced by 1 51-60 The creature's spell attack bonus is reduced by 1 61-70 The creature subtracts 1 from all STR, DEX, and CON saves 71-80 The creature subtracts 1 from all INT, WIS, and CHA saves 81-90 The creature has disadvantage on skill checks relying on STR and DEX 91-100 The creature has disadvantage on skill checks relying on INT, WIS, and CHA

Major Impairments

When a creature drops to 50% of its maximum health, it must roll for a major impairment. Major impairments weaken a creature significantly. A majorly impaired creature can still hold its own in combat, but encounters get much harder once you reach this stage. A creature can only have one major impairment at a time, unless it is gained from spells or other mechanics. Major impairments gained through taking damage vanish if the creature heals past 50% of its max health. When a creature takes a major impairment, it has a chance to enter a blood rage instead, granting it an attack bonus for as long as the impairment lasts. To determine a major impairment, roll on the table below.