Alessandro Rocchi
In this review we talk about Injuries and Vile Deeds, a supplement to D&D5e that introduces new rules for creating tactical and cinematic combat. In addition to this, we also find new options for PGs, monsters and NPCs linked to blood, suffering and sadism.
The manual is published (in English only) by Lone Colossus Games, whom we thank for sending us a copy in order to write this review. We recommend you to follow them on their Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages and on their site to stay updated on their new projects.
If you are interested in buying, you can find on the official store the physical edition on the cover (including PDF) for 55.95 euros; otherwise, the digital version alone costs 23.95 euros (also here).
Injuries and Vile Deeds Structure and Art Review
At first glance, the manual looks good; it boasts a solid hardcover, as well as an excellent binding that makes it durable.
It is divided into 6 chapters. In the first one, there are the new original mechanics. The second, third, and fourth chapters contain new options such as classes, talents, backgrounds, and spells. At the end of the manual, we find a bestiary with many new creatures and a list of NPCs to use if necessary in the sessions.
From a writing point of view, the manual is simple and functional; as a layout, we are faced with a classic supplement for D&D5e. I very much appreciated the repeated use of examples in the explanations of mechanics, to always prioritize clarity and insight. Another value is the boxes used under the various NPCs and monsters, which highlight possible sensitive issues.
The art of Injuries and Vile Deeds is truly valuable, coherent and impactful. I would like to point out that the illustrations are very dark and explicit, with details rich in blood, wounds, bones, etc. They must like this type of theme that perfectly suits the style of the book and constitutes its core.
New Mechanics of Injuries and Vile Deeds
The new mechanics introduced in this supplement revolve around the concept of offering a new challenge to medium-high-level PGs.
Core is Injuries, or specific damage that characters can suffer during combat; they come into play when you take so much damage that you exceed a certain threshold and when you reach 0 Hit Points. If the PC does not end at 0 HP, it only suffers a Setback injury. But if he suffers another Injury of the same degree, then this will be of a higher level; this mechanism is repeated until the victim has treated the Injuries or dies.
There are five degrees and depending on the severity the resulting injury will be more or less debilitating; they are:
- Setback: mostly bruises or light trauma.
- Dangerous: include broken bones or more serious damage.
- Handicap: Damage that leads to physical impairments for our PG, such as damaged senses or wounds that do not heal.
- Deadly: Once these wounds are sustained, our character is in the balance between life and death.
- Lethal: The character will die soon.
After determining the degree, you will decide the type of damage by pulling on a table (different for each degree). Each table includes many implications, so as to allow this system to always be variable and interesting. As anticipated, examples also abound, making the new mechanics easily usable.
NPCs follow the same mechanism, but for them, the degree of Injuries starts from Dangerous. The choice of damage location can also be targeted, so as to make the combat more tactical.
The New Character Options
Among the pages of Injuries and Vile Deeds we find many new options for our heroes. There is a new subclass for each base class, each related to the themes of blood and brutality.
For example, we can find the bard of the college of violence, the artist of the blade and of inflicting pain; otherwise, we also have the cleric of the domain of the massacre, fervent faithful of a god who praises mass exterminations. Another very interesting subclass is that of the magician: who studies spells to make opponents suffer pain. All these options have original privileges that will make the game very interesting and full of tension.
There are also 10 new backgrounds; among them, we find the cultist, the hitman, the lawyer and the possibility of having a character cursed at birth. Each, in addition to the exclusive privilege, has at least three variants that further increase the richness of the content.
The New Items and Spells
In addition to everything we’ve dealt with so far, we also have a large collection of new items (many of them to inflict pain) and new spells for our fellow spellcasters.
The items are of various categories: magical and non-magical weapons, rings, belts, poisons and various potions; every adventurer can find the item adapted to their needs. All recall the mechanics introduced by the manual itself and synergize perfectly with the new subclasses, to give many ideas for adventures and themed rewards.
Even the spells are all about pain, blood, bowels and death, but some in a very special way. Sadism is not lacking: some allow you to tear your enemies apart, others create blood barriers, and still others fill your mind with nightmares. You can also transform parts of your opponents into horrendous monstrosities or be reborn from organic material. A good thing is that many of these are closely linked to the new original mechanics, but others are completely disconnected so that they can be reused in adventures of various kinds.
Bestiary of Injuries and Vile Deeds
The penultimate chapter of the manual presents a rich bestiary with many nightmarish creatures. We find dinosaurs, men forcibly mutated into draconic hybrids, blood elementals, huge mantises, flying eyes and much more; surely this section will make the masters who want to add new and fearsome monsters with which to torment the dreams of their players.
Each creature is presented through the classic stat block, a physical description, a description of the main tactics, an image and a bit of generic lore to give the right context; a very appreciable detail is the fact that each one shows a warning to warn the reader of what will be the sensitive topics covered.
Many of these monsters have unique mechanics related to the use of the Injuries mentioned above. For example, a peculiar dragon can use its burning blood as an attack after receiving an Injury of any degree; this allows you to make the challenges truly engaging and exciting.
Dangerous NPCs
Injuries and Vile Deeds closes with a chapter with various ready-to-use NPCs for any adventure.
There is a wide variety of themes and typologies; there are crazy alchemists, crime lords, cultists, murderers, witches and much more. Each NPC is accompanied by a stat block, a dedicated illustration and a physical and character description; the most interesting thing, however, is the presence of narrative hooks that lead to missions ready to be tackled. A help for novice storytellers or those who want to include this content in their own personalised settings.
If ever these NPCs become hostile, each of them has a section that illustrates their battle tactics; no master will find themselves unprepared! Among them we also find many references to the new mechanics introduced by this manual.
Conclusion of the Injuries and Vile Deeds Review
To conclude my review, the Injuries and Vile Deeds manual looks like a great expansion for D&D5e; it adds really interesting new mechanics and a lot of new material for players and masters.
To all this is added great care both in writing and in artistic direction, giving even more lustre to the material.
In short, if you want to make your fights more lethal, and interesting and if you like macabre themes, I highly recommend this manual.
