Characters, as they go throughout their lives, will occasionally injure themselves in various ways. This page is here to help you, the player, understand how those injuries affect your character. Wounds, illnesses, and ailments all impact what a character can or cannot do. They may limit travel, hunting, communication, or other parts of life. Playing out injuries realistically can sometimes be a challenge, which is why we've put together this guide.

Please note: While this guide provides helpful information, we strongly encourage you to do your own research. Each situation is different in severity, treatment, and healing. Research is your friend.

In this guide, you'll find common wounds and illnesses, how they affect your character, and what recovery might look like. You'll learn if they can travel, whether they need a healer, and how long it might take to recover. Some entries may also mention scarring, chronic injury, or long-term effects.

This page may be long. If you're looking for a specific injury or illness, use CTRL+F to search.

What to Expect From Fighting

Before we get into healing, let’s talk about what is actually possible when it comes to injuries. Especially in fights, hunts, or other intense situations, it's important to understand how the body reacts to trauma.

Canine skin is incredibly stretchy. If you’ve ever gently pulled up the scruff of a dog, you’ll know what we mean. Wolves are built with loose skin that does not adhere tightly to their muscles like human skin does. This means it stretches a lot before it tears. Because of this, it’s very difficult to just rip off chunks of flesh without sustained effort.

During a Fight, a Wolf Can:

• Have their skin punctured, cut, or scraped by another wolf
• Have their eye punctured, ruptured, or otherwise damaged
• Sustain damage beneath the skin from bites that dig in, especially when paired with a head-shaking motion

During a Fight, a Wolf Cannot:

• Rip off flesh or skin easily without effort
• Break bones like twigs, even smaller ones like paws
• Tear off ears in one motion without repeated chewing or tugging
• Break a neck or crush a skull with minimal force

One common misconception is that because wolves crush and eat bones, they can easily break the bones of a living opponent. This isn’t quite true. Wolves usually crush bones on animals that are already dead, with most of the flesh already stripped away. Breaking the bones of a live, moving creature is far more difficult. A wolf might sprain or break a limb if they use leverage along with their bite, but it takes effort and isn’t instant.

Keep in mind that a lot of damage won’t even be visible. The worst injuries in a fight are often under the skin. While there may be punctures or some tears on the surface, it’s the muscle and tissue underneath that takes the brunt of the trauma. This is where bacteria enters, and it’s where the most lasting harm can happen. Many fights may leave only small visible signs, even if serious damage occurred beneath the surface.

Also worth noting: even wounds that bleed heavily don’t tend to create massive pools of blood. Blood often seeps into the fur and drips slowly. On a black or dark-colored wolf, you might not even see it. The exception is the face. Injuries to the tongue or nose bleed heavily, even if they are small. If a character is bleeding enough to be drenched in it, with it flowing visibly, they are on the verge of bleeding out and dying. Please keep this in mind when writing damage. Heavy blood does not equal a more realistic fight. In fact, many wounds bleed very little or not at all, even if serious.

Finally, not every fight needs to end in scars, trauma, or death. Most natural conflicts are brief and end with minimal harm. Wolves are survivors. They often walk away with little more than scratches and may act perfectly normal despite injuries. Unless something is truly severe, they may continue moving and hiding pain as part of instinct.

Individual Conditions & Recovery

The table below is meant to help you understand the individual situations wolves may encounter and is fairly broad. However, we cannot account for every injury, condition, or toxin a wolf may encounter. It's just here to help you write recovery realistically if you need a guide.

INJURY & AILMENTS
SUPERFICIAL (1–10 Days)
Scrapes	2–5 Days	Heals fastest if kept dry and clean	Plantain, Calendula, Chickweed
Cuts	3–7 Days	Shallow wounds may reopen if aggravated	Yarrow, Goldenrod, Horsetail
Blisters	3–5 Days	May burst and scab naturally	Plantain, Marshmallow Root, Burdock
Bruises	5–10 Days	Deeper bruising may linger longer	Arnica, Comfrey, Willow Bark
Small Burn (1st degree)	3–7 Days	Redness and tenderness; no blistering	Aloe, Calendula, Lavender
Eye Trauma (Minor)	1–2 Weeks	Cloudiness or light sensitivity may linger	Eyebright, Chamomile, Goldenseal
Abscesses	2–4 Weeks	Swelling may burst or require lancing	Plantain, Garlic, Echinacea
MODERATE (1–4 Weeks)
Bite Wounds	2–3 Weeks	Infection risk is high with deep punctures	Yarrow, Thyme, Comfrey
Skin Tear	2–4 Weeks	Risk of reopening if stressed or stretched	Goldenrod, Comfrey, Plantain
Gouges	3–4 Weeks	Heavy bleeding and scarring are likely	Yarrow, Honey, Burdock
Eye Trauma (Moderate)	3–5 Weeks	Potential for permanent damage if untreated	Eyebright, Goldenseal, Willow Bark
Pulled Muscles	2–3 Weeks	Rest required to avoid reinjury	Willow Bark, Arnica, Comfrey
Moderate Burn	2–4 Weeks	Blistering common; infection risk	Aloe, Calendula, St. John’s Wort
Ear Infection	1–2 Weeks	Can affect balance and hearing	Mullein, Garlic, Chamomile
Skin/Food Allergies	Ongoing	Triggers may be seasonal or dietary	Nettle, Burdock, Chickweed
Skin Infection	1–3 Weeks	Oozing, fur loss, or crusting may occur	Echinacea, Thyme, Plantain
SERIOUS (1–3 Months)
Severe Burn	4–8 Weeks+	May result in scarring or nerve damage	Aloe, Marshmallow Root, Lavender
Concussion	2–6 Weeks	Dizziness, nausea, confusion may linger	Willow Bark, Sage, Skullcap
Broken Bone	6–12 Weeks	Weight-bearing bones heal slower	Comfrey, Horsetail, Nettle
Removed Eye	4–6 Weeks	Wound may shrink or cloud over permanently	Yarrow, Eyebright, Calendula
Urinary Infection	1–3 Weeks	Causes fatigue, discomfort, increased thirst	Uva Ursi, Dandelion, Parsley
Gastritis	1–3 Weeks	Usually caused by spoiled food or stress	Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root, Ginger
Toxin Recovery (Mild/Moderate)	3–14 Days	Neurological symptoms may fade gradually	Charcoal, Milk Thistle, Dandelion
SEVERE / CHRONIC (3+ Months or Lifelong)
Severed Limb	1–2 Months (wound closure)	Life-altering; full function cannot return	Yarrow, Comfrey, Skullcap
Joint Dysplasia	Chronic	Can worsen with age or hard use	Turmeric, Willow Bark, Nettle
Arthritis	Chronic	Pain and stiffness may fluctuate	Meadowsweet, Ginger, Comfrey
Toxin Recovery (Severe)	2 Weeks to Permanent	Damage may be irreversible or fatal	Milk Thistle, Charcoal, Burdock