Healing Rules
Healing is generally managed by a character's ranks of regeneration if any and use of healing magics. Outlined here are the baseline wound categories and impact of the level of wounding. Wounds are not Additive, receiving new wounds of a given category does not increase their severity but will reset the timer on regen or other healing times. At player discretion they may heal slower than regen or treatment would indicate. It is important to acknowledge as well that permanent death effectively requires IC consent in most cases due to the End of Death. Wounds and damage should serve a narrative purpose more than any strict cause and effect loop. The details here are to aid in a common categorization of wounds and healing to facilitate consistent RP.
Wound Severity
Minor Wounds
Cuts and bruises typical of minor accidents and less than lethal combat. Without treatment these wounds will heal with at worst minor scarring in a matter of days. With treatment they are unlikely to scar and will be effectively healed after the scene treatment is given. Untreated wounds and effects (slight limp winces of pain) are visible to casual inspection and have minor RP effects. Treated wounds are visible on wounded player prerogative.
Severe Wounds
Major lacerations and broken bones or minor concussion typical of major accidents or combat with lethal weaponry. Severe Wounds require treatment to heal, without treatment the wounds can progress to Fatal wounds and ailments due to infection or improper healing leaving permanent impacts. Treated severe wounds are downgraded to the impact of Minor Wounds after the treatment scene and will take a few days to a week to heal fully. Impact is significant, impacting ability to perform day to day tasks and hampering combat or physical activity until recovered, even with treatment the wounds are easily recognizable.
Fatal Wounds
Loss of limbs, damage to internal organs, or severe concussion typical of terrible accidents or intentional attempts to kill with lethal weaponry. Fatal wounds require treatment within a day or they will progress to Mortal Wounds. Treated Fatal Wounds require extended care in a setting with access to significant medical supplies and may result in permanent damage even with treatment. Impact is severe with the victim of Fatal Wounds unlikely to retain consciousness beyond the scene in which the wounds are received even after treatment until recovery has progressed they will be largely immobile and risk reinjury if they strain themselves, combat and heavy physical activity is impossible before treatment and recovery.
Mortal Wounds
Prior to the End of Death these wounds would result in death. Decapitation, disembowelment, major damage to the heart or lungs, Traumatic Brain Injury and similar egregious wounds. Without treatment the victim’s soul will be trapped going slowly mad in a body no longer capable of sustaining life. The only possible treatment outside of high level healing magics or regeneration is to release the spirit from the body to its afterlife. Even after such healing there may be ongoing difficulties requiring extensive prosthetic or donor reconstruction of the body and mental and Aetheric traumas that require more than the healing of flesh to resolve.
Treatment
In most cases non-magical treatment can aid in wound recovery in a scene if sufficient supplies and expertise are available; if sufficient supplies are not available severe wounds can only be stabilized and more significant wounds may not be able to be treated at all.
The wounded individual or an untrained Samaritan can treat minor wounds. Severe wounds require a trained medical professional and cannot be self treated (at player prerogative a wounded medical professional may instruct a bystander how to treat their severe wounds). Fatal wounds require a hospital or similar setting and likely specialist medical knowledge. Mortal wounds require magic to treat or more likely a priest or reaper to take pity on the wounded.
Becoming Wounded
You can not become more wounded than the wounding PLAYER intends. IE, if the player does not wish to inflict lethal wounds even with a weapon capable of it they will not. The wounded player determines how severe their wounds are from any given scene or exchange within these constraints.
However, it is very poor form to refuse to accept wounds equivalent to those you attempt to inflict in a conflict scene. Of course OOC discussion of comfort level ultimately determines the potential level of injuries but these are general guidelines for parity.