When WoundPoints go beyond 30, a character may begin to die. Make Death Test, a Constitution roll with a difficulty equal to the number of WoundPoints past 30 you character have received. If you make the test, everything is fine. If not, you start to die, and will snuff it after a period determined by the negative Outcome of the Death Test, as given on the Shuffling Off The Mortal Coil table.
Shuffling Off The Mortal Coil table
| Outcome | Time Before Snuffing It |
|---|---|
| -1 | 6 hours |
| -2 | 4 hours |
| -3 | 2.5 hours |
| -4 | 1.5 hours |
| -5 | 1 hour |
| -6 | 40 minutes |
| -7 | 25 minutes |
| -8 | 15 minutes |
| -9 | 10 minutes |
| -10 | 6 minutes |
| -11 | 4 minutes |
| -12 | 2.5 minutes |
| -13 | 1.5 minutes |
| -14 or worse | Right now! |
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Stabilization
A character who has failed a Death Test but not yet expired can be saved with a Stabilization roll. This is normally a Medicine roll, but there are Schticks that allow you to stablize people as well. The difficulty is the amount the death test was failed by, that is the same value that determines the time left until death on the Shuffling Off The Mortal Coil Chart.
A success indicates the character is saved, but must spend a lengthy period in hospital or other care before you can go adventuring again. If you manage to roll twice the difficulty, the character not only lives, he is as good as new and will wake up with only bruises to show for his near-death experience. A failed attempt reduces the time remaining until death, just as if the character had failed his Death Test by one more point. This can shorten his remaining life span, as well as make future stabilization attempts more difficult.
Sometimes, people can heal on their own, without medical attention. A character can opt to make an Constitution roll to stabilize himself rather than waiting for a healer to show up. Failing such a roll has all the normal consequences of failing a stabilization roll.
A well-equipped hospital always manages it's Stabilization roll to save a character if he is brought in on time, but only scores a normal success.
Striking a character that is down is not only unchivalrous, it is also not very effective. Worsen the character's Death Test result by one, just as if he had received unsuccessful Stabilization attempt. If you are alone with a helpless and/or unconscious character, the GameMaster may rule that you simply snuff them automatically. He may also judge you a psychopath or decide on a whim to let them survive and come after you later on.
Alternate Damage
Some attacks do not cause death. In general, a character fighting unarmed can choose to only knock out his opponents, and there are several variants of Blast that have alternate effects on a failed Death Test. In these cases, the negative outcome is generally irrelevant.