The Red Ledger

The Red Ledger

A registry of what weapons do to bodies. Introduction and how to use this reference.

A critical hit is triggered when the unmodified attack roll falls between 96 and 100. A fumble is triggered when the unmodified attack roll falls between 01 and 05. Once a critical is confirmed, resolve it in two rolls: first d100 for hit location, then consult the appropriate weapon table for the effect at that location. Work through both rolls before applying anything.

When a table entry lists consequences, apply them in the order written. The flavor text at the end of each entry belongs in the room — said aloud as the GM describes what just happened. The mechanics and the flavor are two sides of the same wound. Neither is optional.

Roll Sequence

The complete step-by-step dice chain for resolving a critical hit or fumble.

Critical Hit Roll Sequence

1. Confirm the trigger. A critical hit occurs when the unmodified attack roll is 96–100. A fumble occurs when the unmodified attack roll is 01–05.
2. Roll d100 for hit location. Cross-reference the result on the Hit Location table to determine which zone was struck.
3. Identify the weapon type. Choose the correct weapon table: Slashing, Piercing, Blunt, Ranged Piercing, Ranged Blunt, Ranged Slashing, or Unarmed.
4. Find the location section within that table and read the result for the rolled effect.
5. Apply all consequences in the order listed. If two effects are simultaneous, the attacker chooses resolution order.

Fumble Roll Sequence

1. Confirm the fumble. Unmodified attack roll is 01–05.
2. Identify the weapon type. Choose the correct fumble table.
3. Roll d10 to determine fumble severity tier (1–3 Minor, 4–6 Moderate, 7–9 Serious, 10 Catastrophic).
4. Apply the consequence. Fumble consequences apply to the attacker, not the target.

Downed and Death

A character whose HP falls to 0 or below is Downed — unconscious and out of the fight, but not dead. Death occurs only when a table result explicitly states it, or when a Downed character receives no stabilization and continues to bleed out. A Downed character requires a successful First Aid check to stabilize; untreated bleeding will kill them within rounds.

Hit Location

Roll d100 to determine which body zone a critical hit strikes.

Hit Location (d100)

After confirming a critical hit, roll d100. Cross-reference the result with the table below to determine which zone was struck. Then consult the weapon-specific table, finding the section for that zone.

Consequences in This Reference

How The Red Ledger maps to the Consequences system. Effects are short-term or long-term and modify attributes or skills.

Consequences in This Reference

All effects in this reference are expressed as Consequences — modifiers to attributes or skills with a defined duration. Short-term consequences last until the end of the encounter or until a character recovers through rest or aid. Long-term consequences persist until treated by a healer.

Quick Draw — Critical Hits

A fast, weapon-agnostic d10 table for critical hit resolution when speed matters more than detail.

Quick Draw — Critical Hits (d10)

When speed matters more than granularity, roll d10 and read the result. No location roll required. All effects use the Consequence system and are recoverable. For full resolution with location and weapon type, use the weapon-specific tables.

Quick Draw — Fumbles

A fast d10 fumble table. All effects apply to the attacker.

Quick Draw — Fumbles (d10)

When a fumble is confirmed (01–05), roll d10. All consequences apply to the attacker. Fumble severity never exceeds a Solid critical against the attacker — these results punish, they do not destroy.

Slashing — Head

Critical hit results for slashing weapons striking the head. Scalp lacerations, brow gashes, and catastrophic face wounds.

Slashing — Head (d10)

The skull deflects edges. Most slashing hits to the head open the scalp rather than the bone — profuse bleeding that looks worse than it is, until it is not.

Slashing — Neck / Throat

Critical hit results for slashing weapons at the neck. Arterial exposure and windpipe damage escalate quickly to lethal.

Slashing — Neck / Throat (d10)

Neck wounds are the most feared result of a slashing weapon. The arteries are close to the surface. Even a grazing result can become fatal quickly without treatment.

Slashing — Shoulders

Critical hit results for slashing weapons at the shoulders. Muscle separation and clavicle damage degrade weapon arm function.

Slashing — Shoulders (d10)

Shoulder wounds attack the weapon arm at its root. The muscles here connect reach to force, and a cut that severs any of them translates immediately to fighting capability.

Slashing — Torso

Critical hit results for slashing weapons striking the torso. Abdominal wounds and organ grazes are the dominant concern.

Slashing — Torso (d10)

The torso is the most common crit location and the most variable in severity. A glancing cut is an inconvenience. A deep abdominal wound is a death sentence measured in minutes.

Slashing — Arms

Critical hit results for slashing weapons striking the arms. Tendon and muscle damage degrade weapon control and grip.

Slashing — Arms (d10)

Arm wounds are among the most common and most consequential slashing results. The tendons and muscles that control grip and swing lie close to the surface, unprotected except by armor.

Slashing — Legs

Critical hit results for slashing weapons striking the legs. Hamstring and thigh damage degrade mobility and balance.

Slashing — Legs (d10)

Leg wounds redirect the fight. A cut that reaches the hamstring or thigh changes a standing combat into a ground situation, and the ground belongs to whoever is still on their feet.

Slashing — Fumbles

Fumble results for slashing weapons. Overextension, self-nicking, and weapon deflection apply to the attacker.

Slashing — Fumbles (d10)

Slashing fumbles punish overcommitment. The edge goes somewhere other than intended — into nothing, into armor, or into the attacker. All consequences apply to the attacker.

Piercing — Head

Critical hit results for piercing weapons striking the head. Eye penetration and skull puncture dominate the high-end results.

Piercing — Head (d10)

A point striking the head goes where edges cannot. Helmets that deflect slashes offer less certainty against thrusts, which seek gaps and joints. The consequences of penetration here are fast and severe.

Piercing — Neck / Throat

Critical hit results for piercing weapons at the neck. Tracheal puncture and arterial penetration are the primary concerns.

Piercing — Neck / Throat (d10)

The throat is a collection of structures that do not tolerate puncture. A thrust here finds arteries, trachea, or spine in close proximity. The results escalate fast.

Piercing — Shoulders

Critical hit results for piercing weapons at the shoulders. Deep thrusts reach the joint and nerve roots.

Piercing — Shoulders (d10)

Piercing weapons reach past armor at the shoulder through gaps around the joint. A thrust here can find the socket, the nerves beneath it, or the subclavian vessels — each with different consequences.

Piercing — Torso

Critical hit results for piercing weapons in the torso. Lung puncture, organ skewering, and gut wounds define the range.

Piercing — Torso (d10)

Torso thrusts are designed to reach what armor tries to protect. A lung that collapses, a gut that opens, a heart that is interrupted — these are the instruments a piercing weapon plays. These tables record them without commentary on the instrument.

Piercing — Arms

Critical hit results for piercing weapons striking the arms. Through-and-through punctures and joint damage define the high-end results.

Piercing — Arms (d10)

Piercing wounds to the arm go deeper than slashing equivalents. A blade that enters the forearm may reach bone. A thrust through the elbow joint disables the arm through structural failure rather than pain.

Piercing — Legs

Critical hit results for piercing weapons striking the legs. Femoral artery involvement and joint penetration define the lethal range.

Piercing — Legs (d10)

The femoral artery runs through the inner thigh. A piercing weapon that finds it ends the fight immediately and everything else soon after. Even without that result, deep thrusts to the knee or ankle joint produce disability through structural failure.

Piercing — Fumbles

Fumble results for piercing weapons. Thrusts that go wide, overextend, or embed in armor apply to the attacker.

Piercing — Fumbles (d10)

Piercing fumbles involve the committed thrust going somewhere wrong — into nothing, into armor it cannot exit cleanly, or into footing that does not hold. All consequences apply to the attacker.

Blunt — Head

Critical hit results for blunt weapons striking the head. Concussion, skull fracture, and unconsciousness define the spectrum.

Blunt — Head (d10)

The blunt weapon communicates with the skull through force rather than edge or point. The skull distributes the energy inward. What lies inside the skull does not benefit from this arrangement.

Blunt — Neck / Throat

Critical hit results for blunt weapons at the neck. Tracheal crush and cervical fracture dominate the severe results.

Blunt — Neck / Throat (d10)

Blunt weapons do not cut the throat — they crush it. The trachea and cervical vertebrae are the structures at risk. A blow hard enough to crack a vertebra can end movement permanently.

Blunt — Shoulders

Critical hit results for blunt weapons at the shoulders. Clavicle fractures and shoulder joint separation disable the arm through bone.

Blunt — Shoulders (d10)

Blunt force to the shoulder works on bone. The clavicle is long, exposed, and not designed for lateral impact. The shoulder joint itself tolerates compression poorly. Either way, the weapon arm suffers.

Blunt — Torso

Critical hit results for blunt weapons striking the torso. Rib fractures, internal bleeding, and organ bruising are the dominant results.

Blunt — Torso (d10)

The torso takes blunt force badly. The ribs are a cage, not a shield — they absorb energy by cracking, and their fragments create secondary damage. The organs behind them have no tolerance for compression.

Blunt — Arms

Critical hit results for blunt weapons striking the arms. Bone fractures and elbow damage define the high-end results.

Blunt — Arms (d10)

Blunt force to the arm seeks bone. The radius, ulna, and humerus are relatively thin and exposed. A solid blow can fracture any of them, and the elbow joint does not survive lateral impact well.

Blunt — Legs

Critical hit results for blunt weapons striking the legs. Kneecap destruction and femur fracture end mobility absolutely.

Blunt — Legs (d10)

The legs support everything and protect very little. A blow to the knee or thigh from a mace or maul communicates directly to the bone. The femur will fracture before the muscle above it does. The knee does not tolerate lateral impact at all.

Blunt — Fumbles

Fumble results for blunt weapons. Heavy weapons that miss carry momentum into bad positions. All consequences apply to the attacker.

Blunt — Fumbles (d10)

Blunt weapons are heavy. When they miss, they take the attacker with them. The momentum problem is the defining feature of a blunt fumble — the weapon ends up somewhere, and the attacker ends up somewhere else.

Ranged Piercing — Head

Critical hit results for ranged piercing weapons (arrows, bolts) striking the head. Shaft retention and penetration depth define severity.

Ranged Piercing — Head (d10)

An arrow or bolt finds the head differently than a thrust does. The range adds velocity; the shaft can lodge and become a secondary problem. Removing an arrow from a wound badly done is often worse than the wound itself.

Ranged Piercing — Torso

Critical hit results for ranged piercing weapons striking the torso. Lodged shafts and deep organ wounds are the primary concerns.

Ranged Piercing — Torso (d10)

A bolt or arrow in the torso has unique problems beyond the wound itself. The shaft protrudes or is buried, it moves with the target, and removing it requires skill and time neither party typically has in the middle of an encounter.

Ranged Piercing — Limbs

Critical hit results for ranged piercing weapons striking arms or legs. Used for both limb locations when rolling ranged piercing crits.

Ranged Piercing — Limbs (d10)

Use this table for ranged piercing hits to Arms, Legs, Shoulders, and Neck — locations where the wound depth and shaft retention are the dominant concerns. For Head and Torso, use those dedicated tables.

Ranged Blunt — All Locations

Critical hit results for ranged blunt weapons (sling stones, lead bullets). Concussive force delivered at range. Use the location from the d100 roll to shade flavor.

Ranged Blunt — All Locations (d10)

A sling stone or lead bullet delivers concentrated blunt force at range. Unlike a mace, there is no follow-through — only impact. The zone struck modifies the expected anatomy but the mechanical principle is the same: concussion, fracture, organ compression. Cross-reference the d100 location for anatomical flavor; the consequences below apply regardless of zone.

Ranged Slashing — All Locations

Critical hit results for ranged slashing weapons (thrown blades, chakrams). Flying edges cause cutting wounds with the momentum of ranged delivery.

Ranged Slashing — All Locations (d10)

A thrown blade or chakram combines the cutting properties of slashing weapons with the velocity of a projectile. The wound is a cut, often deeper than a comparable melee slash, and without the attacker's close involvement in the aftermath. Cross-reference the d100 location for anatomical flavor; apply the consequences as written.

Ranged — Fumbles

Fumble results for all ranged weapons. Misfires, broken strings, and stray shots apply to the attacker or their equipment.

Ranged — Fumbles (d10)

Ranged fumbles are equipment and positioning failures. The weapon misfires, the string breaks, the throw goes wrong. All consequences apply to the attacker. This table applies to all ranged weapon types.

Unarmed — Head

Critical hit results for unarmed strikes to the head. Concussion-spectrum results dominate; direct kills are rare.

Unarmed — Head (d10)

An unarmed strike to the head carries the force of a body in motion — a fist, elbow, knee, or headbutt. Bare knuckles do not cut; they compress. The brain receives this compression as a series of objections to the skull's sudden deceleration.

Unarmed — Neck / Throat

Critical hit results for unarmed strikes at the neck. Throat strikes and choke-range control define this zone.

Unarmed — Neck / Throat (d10)

An unarmed throat strike or choke is among the most effective unarmed techniques and among the most dangerous. Unlike weapon attacks, unarmed neck attacks tend toward control rather than immediate death — a choke ends the fight by ending consciousness, not by ending the target.

Unarmed — Shoulders

Critical hit results for unarmed strikes at the shoulders. Joint locks and arm control dominate this zone.

Unarmed — Shoulders (d10)

Unarmed shoulder attacks prioritize control. A throw, a joint lock at the shoulder, or a precise strike to the acromioclavicular joint produces disabling results that a punch to the torso cannot match.

Unarmed — Torso

Critical hit results for unarmed strikes to the torso. Body blows, grapples, and takedowns define this zone.

Unarmed — Torso (d10)

Torso strikes from an unarmed fighter aim for the solar plexus, liver, kidneys, and floating ribs. The high-end results are grappling and takedown techniques that remove the target from the fight structurally.

Unarmed — Arms

Critical hit results for unarmed strikes and joint attacks to the arms. Joint locks and elbow breaks are the primary tools.

Unarmed — Arms (d10)

Unarmed arm attacks are the heart of grappling technique. A straight arm is a lever; the elbow joint is the fulcrum. The high-end results here are joint-control techniques that disarm and disable simultaneously.

Unarmed — Legs

Critical hit results for unarmed strikes and leg attacks. Knee strikes, leg sweeps, and joint attacks define this zone.

Unarmed — Legs (d10)

Leg attacks from an unarmed fighter favor sweeps, kicks, and knee destructions. A fighter who cannot stand cannot fight. The legs are the foundation, and an unarmed specialist knows how to remove it.

Unarmed — Fumbles

Fumble results for unarmed combat. Missed strikes, overextended grapples, and self-inflicted impact apply to the attacker.

Unarmed — Fumbles (d10)

Unarmed fumbles involve the attacker's body becoming the problem. Overextension, lost balance, and contact with the target's armor or weapon at the wrong angle. All consequences apply to the attacker.

Limb Loss

Resolution table for critical results that trigger a Limb Loss check. Rolled when weapon tables produce a result referencing this table.

Limb Loss

When a weapon table result directs you here, roll d10. This table determines whether the limb has been lost and, if so, at what level. Limb Loss is not automatic on a 10 — the weapon-table result that referenced this table must have reached a catastrophic threshold first.

Mounted Combat — Critical Modifications

How mounted combat modifies crit and fumble resolution. Mount crits and dismount results are covered here.

Mounted Combat — Critical Modifications

When a critical hit or fumble occurs in mounted combat, the presence of the mount changes the resolution. A mounted fighter striking down at a ground opponent and a ground fighter striking up at a mounted opponent each face different tables of outcomes. This section provides those modifications.

Critical Hits Against a Mounted Target

When a critical hit strikes a mounted target, roll d10 after the location roll. On a 1–6, the result strikes the rider as normal. On a 7–9, the result strikes the mount instead (use Creature table). On a 10, the rider is Dismounted: Prone and Downed; mount panics (full Morale check).

Fumbles While Mounted

Charging Criticals

A mounted charge that produces a critical hit resolves the normal weapon table but adds: if the target is Medium or smaller, a Knockdown check triggers after the wound is applied (physicalBalance –20, resisted vs Strength; failure: Prone and pushed 1 hex).

Creature Critical Hits

Modified resolution for creatures with non-standard anatomy. Used when crits land on creatures that lack normal humanoid zones.

Creature Critical Hits

Creature critical hits follow the same two-roll sequence as humanoid crits — location then effect — but the anatomy differs. Use the Creature Location table below in place of the standard d100 location table when the target is a non-humanoid creature.

Creature Hit Location (d100)

Creature Severity Modifiers

Status Glossary

Precise definitions for all status conditions used in The Red Ledger. Each entry lists the mechanical effect, the duration trigger, and how it clears.

Status Glossary

Every status term used in these tables has a precise mechanical meaning. These definitions are authoritative. When a table entry conflicts with a general rule, the table entry takes precedence for that specific result.

Consequence Attribute Reference

All attributes referenced in Red Ledger consequence entries, with brief definitions.

Consequence Attribute Reference

Consequence entries reference attributes by their system name. The table below maps each attribute name to what it governs and where it matters most.

Healing and Recovery Reference

How wounds from The Red Ledger tables are treated. Short-term vs long-term recovery, First Aid vs medical treatment.

Healing and Recovery Reference

These tables use two healing pathways: First Aid (immediate, field treatment) and Medical (skilled treatment for severe injuries). The table below summarizes what each can and cannot address.

Skill Criticals & Fumbles

Rules and tables for critical successes and fumbles on non-combat skill checks across all domains.

Skill Criticals & Fumbles

A roll of 96–100 on any skill check produces a critical success. A roll of 1–5 produces a fumble. These thresholds apply to all skills, not just combat — a merchant rolling Persuasion, a scout rolling Stealth, a healer rolling First Aid, a sage rolling Lore. The domain determines which table applies.

Social — Critical Successes

Critical results for social skills: Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, Negotiate. Leverage gained, composure broken, unexpected alliances formed.

Social — Critical Successes (d10)

Social criticals exceed the intended outcome. The target concedes more than asked, the room shifts, or a position the character could not have engineered through normal negotiation is simply offered. All consequences apply from the target's perspective — a crit on Intimidation breaks composure differently than a crit on Persuasion, but both move things past what was possible.

Social — Fumbles

Fumble results for social skills. Backfire, Shamed status, revealed intentions, and damaged relationships apply to the character who fumbled.

Social — Fumbles (d10)

Social fumbles do not merely fail — they leave the character worse than before the attempt. The approach backfired, an intention was revealed, or a relationship was damaged in a way the character cannot immediately correct. All consequences apply to the character who fumbled.

Physical — Critical Successes

Critical results for physical skills: Athletics, Stealth, Riding, Animal Handling, Acrobatics. Extraordinary execution that exceeds what the moment required.

Physical — Critical Successes (d10)

Physical criticals produce an outcome that exceeds what the difficulty demanded. The body did something that training only partially explains — a stride that covered impossible ground, a silence that should have broken, an animal that trusted when it had no reason to. The table result reflects what domain the check was in; the GM interprets which row fits the skill used.

Physical — Fumbles

Fumble results for physical skills. Injury, exposure, falls, and broken concealment apply to the character who fumbled.

Physical — Fumbles (d10)

Physical fumbles exceed failure — they produce a consequence the character cannot immediately walk back. A fall leaves them prone. A sound ends concealment. An injury costs physicalEndurance. All consequences apply to the character who fumbled.

Knowledge & Craft — Critical Successes

Critical results for knowledge and craft skills: Lore, First Aid, Smithing, Alchemy, Seamanship, and any trade or scholastic skill.

Knowledge & Craft — Critical Successes (d10)

Knowledge and craft criticals produce results beyond the expected scope — insight that would have required more time, quality that exceeds the available materials, or a diagnosis that shortcuts what should have been a long investigation. The table applies to any scholastic, medical, trade, business, artistic, or seafaring skill check.

Knowledge & Craft — Fumbles

Fumble results for knowledge and craft skills. Dangerous mistakes, wasted materials, and false conclusions apply to the character who fumbled.

Knowledge & Craft — Fumbles (d10)

Knowledge and craft fumbles leave the character worse than before the attempt — time wasted, materials consumed, a patient harmed, or a false conclusion confidently delivered. The severity escalates from minor error to disaster. All consequences apply to the character who fumbled.

Magical & Resonance — Critical Successes

Critical results for magical and resonance skills: Spellcraft, Imbuement, Faith, Attunement. Surges, amplified effects, and moments of convergence.

Magical & Resonance — Critical Successes (d10)

Magical and resonance criticals produce effects that exceed what the practitioner directed. The channel carried more than asked. The artifact responded beyond expectation. Faith resolved a moment the logic of the situation did not justify resolving. These results apply to any Spellcraft, Imbuement, Faith, or Attunement check.

Magical & Resonance — Fumbles

Fumble results for magical and resonance skills. Attunement disruption, wild flares, channel blowback, and inversion apply to the character who fumbled.

Magical & Resonance — Fumbles (d10)

Magical fumbles do not merely fail to achieve their intent — they create a consequence the practitioner must manage. The channel pushed back. The attunement broke. The effect inverted. All consequences apply to the character who fumbled.