Leg Weakness

August 2, 2022
humanoid crow with a walking stick and leg braces

Your legs get weak due to muscle tone or neurological failure. This reduces your movement speed by (IE) × 25 percent without assistance. Consider the Strength attribute to be (IE) × 3 less for all Strength checks involving leg strength. Every round spent standing requires a successful DC 8 + (IE) Constitution check, the DC increasing by +(IE) each round. Failure results in you immediately needing to sit or be prone.

Real-world Examples

Slipped Disc, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Parkinson’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Down Syndrome

Assistive Options

Braces, wheelchairs, or other mobility devices are helpful. Leg braces reduce the IE by 1 while worn but must be removed during long rests to gain the benefits of the rest. Adding crutches with the braces reduces the IE by an additional 1 but must be held to move during combat, requiring creative attack strategies.



Muscle Control & Gait Difference

August 2, 2022

You walk with a noticeable limp due to inability to control your leg muscles with precision. Your movement speed is reduced by 20 percent × (IE), and you have a −(IE) penalty on all Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks and Strength (Athletics) checks involving legs.

Real-world Examples

Multiple Sclerosis, Ménière’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Chiari malformation (CM), Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy

Assistive Options

Leg braces, crutches, walkers, rollators, and canes can reduce the movement penalty by 1 IE, but braces take 1 minute to put on and cannot be worn while sleeping, and the others, unless designed for use as weapons, require one hand to be used for balance. Wheelchairs eliminate the movement penalty and add fifty percent to your dash movement unless on rough terrain, but many actions such as jumping are impossible while sitting in a typical wheelchair.



Face Paralysis

August 2, 2022

Some of your face is paralyzed (20 percent × IE), making it difficult to talk and use non-verbal communication with your face. You receive a penalty on Charisma (Performance) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks equal to the IE. This is typically permanent, but the player and GM could choose a magical cause that results in fluctuations.

Real-world Examples

Bell’s Palsy, Lyme Disease, Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Moebius Syndrome, Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome, Stroke

Assistive Options

Because facial paralysis usually prevents the eye from blinking fully, you must use eye drops to keep the eye moist and likely need to monitor for drooling and keep a towel handy.