[Conteville]

Fair point, I haven't considered the balancing issues that can arise from these drawbacks. Although getting treatment for a ruptured ear or signing/writing to communicate I feel is also another roleplaying opportunity, players that can treat such injuries might not be on when you need them and I can understand the annoyance that comes with having to wait for a fix for an injury. Maybe an ear plug item to boost sound resistance/severity levels to ear injuries so you aren't completely deaf? While I still feel that they should have a negative effect implemented in some capacity, I see that it's not so simple.