The wound system in Fudge has always fluctuated — for me — between too much and too little, and I have tinkered with it in many different ways over the years. (One of which, dealing with pulp cliffhangers, has been lost to the Internet Void.) Now, I am grasping once again for that elusive perfect wound system. Will this one meet my needs?
I am calling this method Locational Wound Tracks. Whenever an opponent is successfully struck, the location is noted whether by called shot, random determination, or a default target area (such as the torso). Each location has its own wound track. For the sake of simplicity, the locations are left leg, right leg, left arm, right arm, torso, and head. Damage (and its effect) is applied normally, but for that location only. If, for example, the right arm is Hurt, any action requiring the use of the right arm receives a -1 penalty. An Incapacitating wound will render an arm or leg useless, but such a wound to the torso will cause one to collapse and the same wound to the head will cause one to lose consciousness. Near Death wounds will likewise vary in severity and effect depending on the location affected.
The upshot of this is that wounds are not regarded as equal. A wound to the leg will not have exactly the same effect as a wound to the head. The torso is more likely to be armored than the arms. And a combatant might choose to aim a blow at the least protected area of an opponent.
As for healing, one could rule that a successful result on a healing skill heals all wounds the same number of levels, or one could require a separate roll for each wound treated. Healing through rest heals all wounds at the same rate (one wound level per week of rest).
Pertinent rules links
[The above is similar to something I wrote in 2005 (Alternate Hit Location), but I think it's a bit more straightforward and, therefore, easier to implement.]
