Weapon Severity & Critical Rolls
This Bulletin updates C&C combat by removing Wound Ceilings, introducing Severity Modifiers (SM), and adding Exploding and Imploding Criticals. These changes allow exceptional Opposed Rolls to produce exceptional results while preserving meaningful differences between weapons.
1. Wound Ceilings — Removed
Wound Ceilings are removed from C&C entirely.
Weapons, projectiles, and damaging Callings no longer have a maximum Wound Severity they may inflict.
Any successful damaging attack may produce any wound up to MORT, provided the final result is sufficient. A dagger can therefore inflict a Mortal wound if the attacker achieves a sufficiently large Margin of Victory.
2. Severity Modifier (SM) — Added
Weapons and damaging Callings may now have a Severity Modifier (SM). SM increases the Base Wound determined by Margin of Victory:
| SM | Effect |
|---|---|
| +0 | No increase |
| +1 | Increase 1 Wound Severity |
| +2 | Increase 2 Wound Severities |
| +3 | Increase 3 Wound Severities |
Weapon Wielding Modifiers continue to determine how easy or difficult the weapon is to use. Heavy, devastating weapons may therefore be more difficult to wield but substantially increase the severity of a successful hit.
3. Armor — Order of Resolution
Armor continues to modify Wound Severity as before, but is applied after SM.
Resolve damaging attacks in this order:
Wound Severity never increases beyond MORT.
4. Magic — Wound Ceilings Removed
Damaging Callings no longer have Wound Ceilings. Instead, the Caller’s MAGIC determines the Calling’s Severity Modifier:
| MAGIC | Calling SM |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | +0 |
| 6–10 | +1 |
| 11–15 | +2 |
| 16–20 | +3 |
MoV determines the Base Wound normally. Apply the Calling’s SM and then armor.
5. Exploding Criticals — Added
Exceptional maximum rolls now explode, allowing another roll to be added to the total.
| Dice mode | Exploding roll | Additional roll |
|---|---|---|
| Lethal (1d20) | Natural 20 | Another d20 |
| Risky (3d6) | Natural 18 (6-6-6) | Another 3d6 |
| Stable (4d6, drop one) | Natural 18 after dropping one die | Another 4d6, drop one |
Add the additional roll to the total. If it is another natural maximum, it explodes again. There is no limit to consecutive Exploding Criticals.
6. Imploding Criticals — Added
Exceptional minimum rolls implode, giving the opponent an additional roll.
| Dice mode | Imploding roll | Opponent adds |
|---|---|---|
| Lethal (1d20) | Natural 1 | Another d20 |
| Risky (3d6) | Natural 3 (1-1-1) | Another 3d6 |
| Stable (4d6, drop one) | Natural 3 (requires four natural 1s) | Another 4d6, drop one |
If an additional roll produces an Exploding Critical, it explodes normally.
A Critical does not automatically determine success or failure. After all additional dice and modifiers are applied, compare the final Opposed Roll totals normally. Roll totals have no minimum and may be negative.
7. Both Criticals at Once
If one side rolls an Exploding Critical while the opponent rolls an Imploding Critical, the favored character receives both additional rolls.
Summary
Removed: Wound Ceilings from weapons, projectiles, and Magic.
Added: Severity Modifier (SM +0 through +3).
Damage Sequence:
Added: Exploding maximum rolls and Imploding minimum rolls to Lethal, Risky, and Stable play.
These changes preserve the importance of Margin of Victory: an exceptional hit is never artificially limited by the weapon being used, while heavier and more dangerous weapons make successful hits substantially more severe.