WOUNDS AND HEALING

In pulp games, the heroes are made of sterner stuff, able to shake off wounds that would probably incapacitate a standard Call of Cthulhu character; sometimes they can even escape death itself.

Pulp combat should always be highly dramatic. Description and visual illustration are thoroughly encouraged. Avoid saying, “You lost 4 hit points,” and instead, say something like, “you feel the whack of the bullet as it slams into your shoulder, and then a sudden, sharp pain.”

Faster Recovery

Wounded heroes recover faster: natural healing is increased to +2 hit points per day (the Quick Healer talent increases this to +3 hit points per day). In addition, successful First Aid and Medicine healing is increased to +1D4 hit points.

Ignore Major Wounds

Do not use the major wounds rule for heroes. Heroes die if they take a single amount of damage equal to or greater than their maximum hit point total. If they take a single wound equal to or greater than half their maximum hit point total that also reduces their hit points to zero, they are dying (see Dying and Death, following). Otherwise, at zero hit points, the hero automatically falls unconscious. A character losing half or more of their maximum hit point total in a single attack (but who is still above zero hit points) must make a CON roll to remain conscious.

Note that unconscious heroes may be killed outright if left unattended at the hands of monsters and major villains!

DYING AND DEATH

A hero is dead when they have been reduced to zero hit points by a single attack equal to or greater than their maximum hit point total. If a hero takes a single wound equal to or greater than half their maximum hit point total that also reduces their hit points to zero then they are dying and automatically fall unconscious. Record the Current Hit Points as “D” for dying rather than a number.

For example: Jack has a maximum of 22 hit points. He has been badly battered by a series of unfortunate events while exploring the lost temple of Zok-Gah and is currently on 8 hit points. He triggers a trap, engulfing him in molten flame, and the fiendish Keeper rolls 4D10 damage; Jack takes 18 points of damage. As this is over 11 hit points, which is half of Jack’s maximum, and takes him down below zero, Jack is dying. If the Keeper had rolled 22 points or more of damage, Jack would have died immediately.

A dying hero must make a CON roll at the end of the next round and each round thereafter. If any of the CON rolls are failed, the character dies immediately. First Aid can be used to stabilize a dying character and so prevent death. In certain circumstances, such as a monster consuming or completely ripping the hero apart, the Keeper may declare First Aid to be inappropriate, ruling that death is inevitable.

If stabilized with a successful First Aid roll, the patient gains 1D4 hit points (an Extreme success automatically grants the maximum 4 hit points recovery) and removes the “D” for dying. The patient has been brought back from the edge of death and is no longer required to make a CON roll each round. If initially stabilized with a successful First Aid roll, a follow-up Medicine roll may be made; with success granting an additional 1D4 hit points (an Extreme success granting 4 hit points recovery). A failed First Aid roll may be pushed, but the consequence of failing this roll will be death for the injured party—note that a fumbled First Aid roll also means that, despite best efforts, the dying hero cannot be saved.

Once brought back from the edge of death, the patient’s natural healing continues at the rate of +2 hit points per day thereafter until the hero returns to their normal maximum hit point total. Natural healing can be supported through continued medical treatment: each day a Medicine roll may be made by the attending physician; if successful, the patient’s natural healing for that day is increased by one hit point to +3. Note that treatment and care in a modern, well-appointed hospital may grant a bonus die to the Medicine roll, whereas being forced to care for an injured comrade in unsanitary conditions could bring about a penalty die to the roll (as determined by the Keeper).

As desired, the Keeper may deem that fumbled Medicine rolls hinder rather than heal, knocking the patient’s recovery back, meaning no hit points are gained that day. The consequence of a failed pushed Medicine roll could mean that 1D3 hit points are lost rather than gained!

In surviving a near-death incident, some form of Sanity point loss is probable; a Sanity roll should be made, with 0/1 Sanity loss depending on the outcome of the roll.

The Keeper should encourage players to take account of near-death injuries in how they consequently portray their heroes thereafter. Injuries, such as broken legs, missing hands, and so on, can all add to the excitement of the story and allow players to make the most of acting out their character’s misfortune for both comedic and dramatic effect. As this is pulp, think carefully before applying additional penalties for injuries—many heroes of the pulp world are able to take such wounds on the chin, brush themselves off, and prepare for whatever the villain can throw at them next!

For example: Che “Holy-Fire” Westner, a fire and brimstone preacher, has a maximum of 34 hit points. Due to recent troubles, his hit points are currently on 17. Encountering a mighty star-spawn of Cthulhu, Che finds his words do not repel the monster. Despite his attempt to dodge out of the way of the star-spawn’s claws, Che is sideswiped by the gigantic monster and takes 19 points of damage—as this is more than half of his maximum hit point total and reduces him to zero hit points, Che is now unconscious and dying. Ouch! The star-spawn then lumbers off to cause more havoc elsewhere.

It will take Che’s companions (who ran away and hid when they saw the star-spawn approaching) a full round to get to Che’s battered body before they can attempt first aid. During this time, the Keeper asks Che’s player to make a CON roll to see if Che can hold on to life for another round. Thankfully, he makes the roll and buys a little more time for his friends to get to him and attempt a First Aid roll. If they fail the roll then Che’s player will have to make another CON roll at the end of that round. Fortunately for Che, Tommy Aderson’s experience with dressing field wounds in the Great War pays off and he successfully makes the First Aid roll, stabilizing Che and granting him 1D4 hit points. Che’s player erases the “D” marker on his sheet and puts his current hit points to 3 (the result of the 1D4 roll). His friends carry him to their car and set off in pursuit of the star-spawn. During the journey, Tommy tries his hand at cleaning and dressing Che’s wounds, successfully making a Medicine roll, which grants Che a further 1D4 hit points. Che is now at 6 hit points, able to get up and join the desperate fight against the humungous fiend from the sea. As Che comes to his senses, he remembers nearly dying and the shock of the situation kicks in, necessitating a Sanity roll.

In the days that follow, Tommy continues to attend to Che’s wounds and makes a Medicine roll each day. As the care is not being performed in a hospital, the Keeper rules that a bonus die will not be awarded to these rolls, but neither will a penalty die, as the general condition are fine (i.e. they are not in a hot and sweaty jungle). On the days that Tommy makes a successful Medicine roll, Che gains 3 hit points, otherwise (with a failed Medicine roll) he gains 2 points of natural healing.

Death’s Door

As per Dying and Death (above), dying characters may spend all of their Luck points (30 points minimum) to avoid death. In such situations, the hero’s Luck score is reduced to zero; their condition is slightly improved and they get to live through to the next scene, with the player describing how the hero managed to escape from the jaws of death.

The character immediately regains 1D6+1 hit points, the injuries they have suffered remain and still require attention in due course, however, the character has bought some time and they do not have to make CON rolls to remain conscious or alive.

For example: Maximillian Quest and his trusty companions have unwittingly released Great Cthulhu from his slumber. As they run for their lives, Cthulhu inadvertently stamps upon Maximillian. Rather than have Maxmillian squished, his player opts to spend all of his remaining Luck to avoid certain death. Currently, Maximillian has 36 Luck points (he needs a minimum of 30 points to avoid death, so there’s no problem this time).

The Keeper asks Maximillian’s player to describe how he survives what seems like instant death. Taking a moment to think, Maximillian’s player says how just at the last second, as Cthulhu’s foot was about to stamp the life out of him, Maximillian somehow managed to squeeze between the Great Old One’s toes, preventing him from being totally crushed. Carried along upon Cthulhu’s great strides, the hero was eventually thrown clear. Maximillian regains 3 hit points (1D6+1). The Keeper then describes how the rest of the heroes find Maximillian’s battered form lying upon some strangely carved basalt stones. In the sky, they can see the dark silhouette of Great Cthulhu heading for California…

Blaze of Glory

When faced with certain death a hero has a choice to make. They may be able to avoid death by spending Luck points or they can choose to go out in a blaze of glory—allowing the hero to perform one final dynamic, spectacular, and dramatic action before they die.

Going out in a blaze of glory does not cost Luck points, it is a “free” option allowing the hero to attempt one thing—one last desperate act—before they die. If the final action involves a skill roll, then a free bonus die is awarded to the roll. Once the action has been attempted the hero is dead and cannot be revived.

Given that it is a “final” action, it is highly unlikely that a skill roll could be pushed, although imaginative players might be able to convince a Keeper with suitable justification. The Keeper is fully within their rights to announce (before the roll the made) that the roll cannot be pushed. If the Keeper does, however, allow a pushed attempt, then the consequences of failure must be very severe and involve at least one other player character—given the hero concerned is going to die anyway, the effect of a failed pushed roll must have an over-reaching consequence for the hero’s companions or mission.

A blaze of glory act might be undertaken to enable another character to perform a heroic action, where the bonus die is actually awarded to the character the dying hero is assisting. Such self-sacrifice allows the player concerned to narrate what they are doing to aid the other character; what final flourish they provide that enables another to perform the dramatic action.

Examples of a final act might include: making one final combat attack, deactivating a bomb, saving an innocent, grabbing the wizard’s tome of spells, reaching the telephone to send an important message, sacrificing oneself so that another may get a shot at the monster’s weak spot, and so on.

As an option: the Keeper may declare that a blaze of glory final action is automatically successful; however, the full effect and consequence of the action could be determined by the level of success gained by the dice roll (a failed result meaning the action only partially achieves the goal, an Extreme success meaning the action’s beneficial effects are much greater than anticipated, and so on).

Another option: Keepers may allow heroes who have gone permanently insane (zero Sanity points) to go out in a blaze of glory too. Whether such individuals somehow later turn-up, despite their apparent death, in the role of a villain is left to the Keeper.