Skill Reactions II: Dual Tables

To continue from the previous post: I proposed rolling 2d6 and improvising the result on the reaction table if the roll is less than or equal to an appropriate ability score. But much earlier, I'd proposed a death and dismemberment roll that sort of did the reverse: looking up the result on the reaction table if the roll failed, because the roll is higher than the ability score.

What might provide even more detail is to combine the two methods. On a successful roll, interpret the result as degree of success. On a failed roll, interpret it as degree of failure. In either case, low rolls mean worse results.

Lett;'s take Physical Adversity as an example. You would roll this for exposure to disease, severe physical trauma, and possibly as a death & dismemberment roll. A successful roll means the character survives, possibly with a scar or limp on a low roll, possibly recovering faster than normal on a high roll. A failed roll, in contrast, means a severe problem. High rolls would mean the least severe results (permanently crippled.) Mid-range rolls mean incapacity and possible death if no appropriate action is taken. Low rolls definitely mean death, and the lowest roll means mutilation or other severe effects preventing resurrection.

For types of rolls made frequently, like the physical adversity roll, you would want an actual pair of tables, or a single table with columns for both success and failure. The table entries would have to be crafted to take into account the fact that high Con (or other ability scores) make low failed results impossible, and low ability scores make high success results impossible. This can be modified somewhat: I suggested halving the score (round down) for dire situations, but it might be better to use four categories and define them a little better:

Trivial: Auto success. Double the result rolled and consult the success table for degree.
Standard: Roll and compare to ability score as normal.
Dire: Roll and compare to half ability score.
Fatal: Auto failure. Halve the result rolled and consult the failure table for degree.

For physical adversity, you would use Trivial for allergies and minor irritants (characters getting hit in the face with pepper to make them sneeze.)  Standard would be for typical diseases and recovery from injuries, Dire would be for severe injury like being caught in an avalanche or any combat that reduced a character to 0 hits. Fatal would be for rare deadly diseases or extreme situations like falling into a giant meat grinder.