Harm

Deyr fé, deyja frændur, deyr sjálfur ið sama.
Cattle die, kinsmen die, you yourself will also die.
— Hávamál

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Kodranni does not track hit points. It tracks the unravelling of the nine Foundations.

Harm is recorded on nine named tracks. Each track is permanently paired with one Foundation. Every point of Harm reduces that Foundation by one for dice purposes.

Physical

• Crushed ← Strength
• Bleeding ← Dexterity
• Fever ← Constitution

Mental

• Fog ← Intellect
• Disoriented ← Perception
• Shock ← Resolve

Social

• Tarnished ← Charisma
• Exposed ← Guile
• Disgrace ← Authority

• Tracks run from 0 to 3.
• Effective Foundation = max(0, Foundation − Harm points).
• Dice pools never drop below 1 die, regardless of Harm.

The Storyteller assigns points according to the fiction. The track name is only the mechanical label.

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Inflicting Harm

Harm arises only when the fiction and the dice justify lasting damage.

Roll type	Harm points
Opposed	Marks difference ÷ protection ratio (always floor)
Unopposed (falls, environment, dangerous acts)	(failures − Marks) ÷ protection ratio (always floor, minimum 0)

Protection ratios

Protection	Ratio
No armour / no relevant Reputation	÷1
Light armour / moderate Reputation advantage	÷2
Heavy armour / strong Reputation advantage	÷3

• The Storyteller chooses the Harm track when fiction is ambiguous.
• No mixed events: a given infliction is physical or social/mental — not both stacked. Physical protection uses donned armour (None / Light / Heavy). Social and mental protection uses Reputation (relative Hierarchy position). Maximum Reputation gap for ratio purposes is two tiers (e.g. Ruler against Outcast).

Be frugal. Most successful hits produce 0 or 1 point. Two points is notable. Three in a single exchange is rare.

In the yard fight a spear finds a gap under the edge of light mail. The opposed exchange went clearly for the attacker (margin of 3 Marks). The armour still matters: it halves lasting injury. The Storyteller reads a physical wound that steals fine control of the hand — not a social humiliation on the same blow.

1. Opposed margin: 3 Marks (attacker ahead).
2. Protection: light armour → divide by 2.
3. Harm points: floor(3 ÷ 2) = 1.
4. Track (ST chooses from the fiction): Bleeding (Dexterity) +1 — the wound is in the arm; the hand shakes.
5. Not mixed: this event does not also apply a social or mental track.

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Dying

When any Harm track reaches 3, the character is Dying.

• While Dying, every roll requires Exertion.
• When Exertion reaches 0, the character dies.

This window allows final actions, last words, or desperate stabilisation. Stabilisation requires a successful Healing attempt and removes the Dying state; the track remains at 3 until further recovery, and almost always leaves a permanent Trait.

Healing is not a superpower. Without the right knowledge and material — Herbalism, bandages, Handcrafting for a splint, and whatever else the wound actually needs — treat the attempt as Disadvantage. Even with the best care, sometimes there is nothing left to do. Fight on. Save who you can. There is no plot armour. Death takes everyone in the end.

Dying — the fever on the road

A companion tries to keep them. Healing is a Skill, not a miracle.

I II III IV

The wound went bad. Fever hits 3. The character is Dying. They can still speak. Every roll now costs Exertion. At Exertion 0 they die.

← Back Next →

After death: remove the character from the Hierarchy Diagram. Continuity continues through Echoes and Legacies. Play does not stop mid-session for full character replacement.

The wound went bad on the road. Fever has climbed for two days; when the Fever track hits 3, the character is Dying. They can still speak and act, but every effort spends what little strength remains. A companion works through the night with herbs and steady hands.

1. Fever reaches 3 → character is Dying.
2. While Dying: every roll costs Exertion. When Exertion hits 0 → death.
3. Stabilise: companion rolls Resolve + Healing and succeeds → Dying ends. The Fever track stays at 3 until recovery work clears points. A permanent Trait usually remains (scar, limp, weakened chest — Storyteller names it).

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Recovery

Recovery is slow and depends on rest, care, and nourishment.

Condition	Effect
Short rest	May clear 1 point from a single track if fed and tended
Long rest	May clear 1–2 points depending on care, shelter, and food
No food or water	Reduces or negates recovery
Track at 3	Can only be reduced after Dying has been stabilised

Inventory (bandages, herbs, clean water, shelter as fiction) and rest quality matter. The Storyteller judges what the situation allows.

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Worsening and Omens

All Harm can worsen.

The Storyteller may load custom Omen faces for infection, secondary bleeding, spreading fever, growing shame, and similar deterioration. When those faces appear, additional Harm applies. Positive Consequences may reduce or prevent Harm.

Ordinary faces 7 and 13 remain available for the same purpose at the Storyteller’s discretion.

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Don’t worry. I’ll kill you eventually.

Related: Dice Mechanics, Exertion, Hierarchies, Automation.

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