Originally used for a game of low-level chaos cultists with little to no starting gear, armor and weapons (ritual knife for apostate, a stub pistol for renegade, mechadendrite for heretek, nothing for rogue psyker) having to deal with equally low-level threats: thugs, arbitrators, redemptionist warbands and the like.

-Everyone has wounds equal to their TB
-When a hit to the head penetrates armor, damage is not soaked by toughness
-When taking 5 or more damage after armor and toughness soak (usually sending PC or NPC into low criticals anyway) an immediate Toughness test is made. If the target fails the test, and damage is rending or ranged impact type, the target suffers blood loss on top of any other effects, or is stunned for number of rounds equal to DoF on Toughness test if damage is blunt impact, explosive or energy.

-Injured character, who hasn't recieved medical attantion (successful First Aid use of Medicae Skill) recieves a point of unsoakable damage every TBx10 minutes, TBx5 if Critically wounded.
-When burning Infamy to survive, take half the corruption as failing.

That is actually really hardcore (exactly like the title) i don't know if i would ever do this for one of my games, but if anyone uses this, please tell me how it went!

Curiously enough, this actually balances space marines with humans better. I might try a mixed round again.

I used it.

Works well for low power levels - a thug with a knife presents just as much of a threat as in real life, and guns, if you get shot, make short work of you. But then again, same applies to the enemies - no longer I have to explain my player how exactly the guy he just sliced a throat from behind or shot in the head with a pistol from point-blank range is just "left with 2 wounds but otherwise ok". Wearing even the basic armor is now way more important. Bolter hit turns a person into crimson mist like it should. Helmetless space marine can only survive a headshot or two from small arms fire.

Social skills and other non-combat ways of dealing with the problem begin to shine - players are motivated to not get into firefights they could avoid which is good in my book.

The problems I faced are unarmed master with lightning attack who can literally kill a man with bare hands in a round or two (arguably not that unrealistic) and stun combat action which is now useless - most blunt melee weapons can stun opponents anyway.

Obviously NOT suited for epic-style games. It may take a year of gaming to accend to daemonhood. It may take a single good hit from RPG at a huge target you now present to banish you from material universe.

Personally if I was looking for a system that was this brutal on its players, I'd go with the Friday Night Firefight system. But that's just me.

I just love the 40k crit tables so much

Well, I can't fault that!

I just love the 40k crit tables so much

The session before last (today), one of my players was shot in the foot by a commissar that had been knocked on his back, point blank, with a bolt-pistol.

He lost his foot permanently.

Good times.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my players had a Pirate Princess lose part of their foot to the claws of a Cackling Abomination. She died from Blood Loss as an effect of the resulting crit! Never seen that happen before in over four years of 40krpg!

Hardcore mod - vehicles.

All armor values are halved.

All hull integrity is halved.

After receiving at least 1 point of integrity damage enviromentally enclosed vehicles lose that trait

If a vehicle takes 10 or more integrity damage from hit with energy weapon, there is a 50% chance it catches fire.

If a vehicle takes 10 or more integrity damage from hit with impact or rending weapon, it also takes 1d5 critical damage.

If a vehicle takes 10 or more integrity damage from hit with explosive weapon, both effects apply.

Any crewmen inside flaming vehicle at the start of his turn must pass an agility test with usual -20 modifier for actions inside burning vehicle or catch fire himself, following all the rules for fire damage.

Any crewmen inside flaming vehicle without a respirator or equivalent on is suffocating. Consider this as sternous activity.

Oooo, I'm actually kind of liking this. Using just a few rules helps alot as well and makes players fear combat. If my more experienced group ever gets back to playing black crusade I'll have them look these over

an easy mod I made was as follows:

anytime a character/vehicle take damage after toughness and armour, roll 1d10-5 on the appropriate crit table. damage is treated as righteous fury for purposes of healing and talents (that add to crits)

One arrangement I've seen people suggest is to have any Wounds taken after AP and TB also count as Crit damage.