Not all damage is the same. A leather sap to the back of the head can deliver tremendous stunning damage while leaving an individual relatively unharmed. To simulate this in the ARG system, damage is divided between stunning damage and killing damage. The weapons themselves deliver differing amounts of both stunning and killing damage. Blunt weapons obviously have a high stun to kill ratio while piercing weapons have a low stun to kill ratio. Following is a break down of the four weapon damage types and their stun/kill ratio.

Distinctions between stunning and killing damage is generally not a consideration during combat and so is usually only calculated afterwards. (Some GRs, for simplicity's sake, may ignore it entirely.) During combat, the character's main concern is whether or not his character can continue to fight and how well.

Any time a character's total wounds exceeds his Maximum Wound Level (MWL), he must make an endurance roll (-1 / point of total damage over MWL) in order to stay conscious. However, just because he can force himself to function doesn't mean he doesn't suffer from his wounds.

There are four levels of woundedness. During character creation, the player should calculate the point value of each wound level category. As each character gets wounded he progresses up the wound levels, suffering penalties to his actions. While the combat modifiers listed below obviously affect the character's fighting ability, the GR may also use these same modifiers as penalties to other skills.

• Limited Failure--character is stunned.
• Failure--character is partially incapacitated, but conscious.
• Extreme Failure--character is unconscious.
• Critical Failure--character is permanently incapacitated, or if already unconscious, then character is dead.

Furthermore, a gravely wounded character will continue to take an additional DPs due to bleeding (as determined by the GR) until someone successfully performs a first aid roll, casts a healing spell, or the player makes three consecutive endurance rolls. The stun/kill ratio of damage caused by bleeding is 50% / 50%.

If a partial incapacitation is indicated, the location of the wound will need to be determined. Some GRs (who don't mind rolling dice often) may wish to determine the location of every wound, though that certainly isn't necessary. Others may wish to roll each time the character moves up a wound level to get an idea of the nature of the character's impairment (for role-play purposes). Two Hit Location Tables are provided as an aid to roleplay. One is a generalized table, and the other more detailed. Both assume, however, a standard human body shape and size using a one-handed weapon. The detailed table more specifically assumes the use of a shield.

In the case of a humanoid being attacked by a significantly larger being, (i.e. a Booka vs. a human) 5 points should be added to a roll on the general table or 10 points on the detailed table. In the case of a humanoid being attack by a smaller being, then the same points should be subtracted from rolls on their respective tables.

Stunning damage heals at the rate of 2 DPs per minute. Killing damage heals at the rate of 1 DP per day. This is assuming adequate rest, food and water; a lack of any one of these things will slow the healing process. Magic and/or a trained physician can obviously decrease the healing time. The GR may vary the rate of healing by require additional Endurance rolls.

Once the killing damage total equals the MWL, the character must start making endurance rolls or die. If the character is still conscious and fighting, then he must roll every time he is wounded, otherwise only one roll is required. if the roll is failed, it doesn't mean that the character dies immediately, but only that the wounds he has suffered will ultimately prove fatal. it is up to the GR to determine if it is an immediate and gory death (i.e. decapitation) or if it is a long slow lingering death (or something in between). In the case of a slow death, magical or medical help still might be obtained.