Bashing damage 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[]
Bashing damage represents damage from which the body is able to recover relatively quickly, typically external trauma inflicted by blunt objects which do not pierce the skin. It therefore covers the medical definition of blunt trauma, and if enough Bashing damage is sustained (i.e. enough to upgrade existing Bashing wounds to Lethal ones) then internal bleeding or other internal injuries can occur, which can certainly be enough to kill a human being.
Systems[]
Levels of Bashing damage are abbreviated to B in combat statistics. Sources of bashing damage include blunt weapons, fists, damage from falling or being hit by objects (cars, etc.) and some natural hazards (some sources of electricity, for example). Some supernatural creatures suffer Bashing damage from attacks which would be considered lethal for mortal humans; the most notable case is that vampires suffer Bashing damage from gunfire, since damage to their organs matters little to them and they do not suffer from blood loss in the same way as humans.
Bashing damage causes bashing wounds, which are marked in the health track using a slash. A character cannot die from Bashing damage under normal circumstances, but can be knocked unconscious (though some supernatural creatures are immune to this effect). Characters whose health track is full of Bashing wounds and sustain further Bashing damage upgrade their existing wounds to Lethal ones.
Bashing wounds heal quickly, usually in a matter of hours; bruises and other marks may last longer, but the body quickly recovers enough to function (relatively) normally. Many supernatural creatures - particularly werewolves and vampires - are able to heal Bashing wounds almost instantly, and some (like vampires or the true fae) are heavily or entirely resistant to them. Most types of armour are able to protect the wearer from bashing damage.