Aggravated

Aggravated is a type of damage used in the health system of White Wolf's games. Like the other damage types, it was introduced in the Revised Storyteller System and then incorporated into the Storyteller System in the Revised Edition World of Darkness games. It is also a feature of the Storytelling System's health system.

Description
Aggravated damage represents supernatural sources of injury which do not heal normally. For humans, this is often an academic distinction: to them, Aggravated damage is just Lethal damage from a supernatural source. While some kinds of magical or otherwise supernatural attacks always cause Aggravated damage, some affect only certain types of creature. Many of the banes associated with different supernatural creatures - silver for werewolves, or sunlight for vampires - have earned their reputation because they cause Aggravated damage to their traditional target.

Systems
Levels of Aggravated damage are abbreviated to A in combat statistics (and sometimes to "agg" in less formal contexts). Sources of Aggravated damage include magic spells, the natural weapons of supernatural creatures (e.g. a werewolf's teeth and claws, though these may need to be magically bolstered in some way), and enchanted or blessed weapons. Some particularly dangerous environmental hazards, like nuclear fallout, may also cause Aggravated damage to humans in some contexts.

Aggravated damage causes Aggravated wounds, which are marked in the health track using an asterisk. A character whose health track is full of Aggravated wounds is generally dead, with no chance of recovery, though in some circumstances certain supernatural creatures may be able to return to life if there is enough left of their body. Aggravated wounds heal extremely slowly, and in some cases not at all without supernatural assistance. Supernatural creatures are usually able to heal themselves of Aggravated wounds, but it is a slow and draining process even for them. Very few types of armour can protect the wearer from Aggravated damage, and those that do are often limited to protecting from a specific source; usually only supernatural or magical protection is effective.