Crunchy Goodness: Crit Charts pt. IV: What It All Means!

That's all the weapon types covered and the various charts to roll on, but what happens if something's broken you ask? Well, that's explained here, along with some side notes about various problems that could arise.

Broken: Movement and attack penalties persist until a Cure Serious Wounds or better is applied. Can be healed naturally in 30+3d10 days at a permanent loss of 5 hp.
Crushed: Movement and attack penalties persist until Cure Critical Wounds or better is applied. Can be healed naturally in 30+3d10 days at a permanent loss of 10 hp, but the crushed part will be useless for the rest of the victim's life unless magical healing of at least Cure Light Wounds is applied at some point before the full natural healing time.
Grazed: Nothing more unusual unless bleeding occurs. Heals normally.
Injured: Movement and attack penalties remain until a Cure Moderate Wounds or better is applied. Can be healed naturally in 2d10 days at a permanent loss of 1hp.
Severed: Only Regeneration, Wish, or Miracle can restore the limb. Can be healed naturally in the same amount of time as if Broken, with the same hp penalty, but the hp are restored if the limb is.
Struck: Movement and attack penalties remain until a Cure Light Wounds or better is applied. Can heal naturally in d10 days with no further adverse effect.
Light Bleeding: Subject loses 1hp per round to blood loss until a Cure Light Wounds or better is cast or a DC 15 Heal check is made to staunch the wound.
Moderate Bleeding: Subject loses 2hp per round to blood loss until a Cure Moderate Wounds or better is cast or a DC 20 Heal check is made to staunch the wound. A Cure Light Wounds cast reduces the bleeding to light, but weaker magics have no effect.
Serious Bleeding: Subject loses 3hp per round to blood loss until a Cure Serious Wounds or better is cast or a DC 25 Heal check is made to staunch the wound. Cure Moderate Wounds or Cure Light Wounds cast reduces the bleeding to Light or Moderate, respectively, but no weaker magics have any effect.
Armor/Shield Damage: Treat this as an attack against the item in question, with hardness taken into consideration. The item takes half the amount of the critical hit damage total and may be destroyed by the attack. An appropriate Craft check or magical means can restore the item to full usefulness.
Attack Penalties: Any effect that makes a subject incapable of attacking also halts spellcasting and other combat action such as tripping, bull rushing, etc.. A character in such a situation can still activate magic items such as wands and various wondrous items.
Movement Penalties: The reduction in base movement also eliminates any fast movement ability and negates the ability to use charges or to run.

A read of this chart and its descriptors may make it seem very flawed, but my old group and a few other groups since have used the charts with no complaint.
If something seems an ill fit or unrealistic or unlikely due to equipment, etc., then simply call for a reroll or twist what's given into something more ideal to the situation. These charts, like any other part of the D&D game are up to DM interpretation and use in any manner seen fit.

A couple of side notes to the charts...

• We used these charts no matter what the creature was. Horses, dragons, Behir all have parts distinguishable by the charts, and I've found very few critters they don't work against. (Will o' Wisp, Energons, and Lantern Archons are some examples) All it takes is a little imagination.
• All effects on a line are applied unless noted otherwise. The exception usually is brought on by armor or the lack thereof.
• For Bleeding effects, a Cure Critical or a Heal spell completely staunches all bleeding and removes movement and attack penalties.
• If movement and attack penalties are applied without another of the wound types, those penalties last until the end of the encounter, after which, they can be "walked off."
• The effect on each 20 seems redundant, but it's possible that, due to various wishes, physiology, etc., the character might be immune to the effects of 19 and might not be killed or maimed by it.
• For those with Attack Penalties, it's still possible to hurl their bodies against someone in a bull rush and spellcasters may, if one hand is free and undamaged, cast still. This is up to the DM and how the game is ran.
  
• Variant: Fortification enchantments on armor or any other effect that has a percent chance to negate a critical hit instead have a chance to negate the effects rolled on the charts. The charts are still used, as a 20 on severity can still increase the damage taken by the character.