InaVegt
2009-05-09, 08:43 AM
Okay, so I dislike the health system as used in DnD, and I decided to analyse it to find the problems so I would be able to provide a solution.
Problems:
For a supposedly heroic game, low level characters are way too vulnerable.
At high levels doing direct damage is only a viable tactic when employing large amounts of cheese.
Hit point damage does nothing unless it is enough to immediately down you.
It is too predictible when someone who is in their negatives will die.
Now, for my solution, first I will give some formulae.
Characters have a number of maximum hit point of their con score + their character level + HP provided by hit dice. (Max HP)
Characters have a wound range of their con score + twice their character level. (WR)
Characters have a lethal range of their con mod + their character level (rounded down) + 2. (LR)
Characters have a wound threshold of their con mod + their base fort save + 5. (WT)
So, to take some example characters (assuming average HP here.)
First level fighter with 13 con. Max HP is 25, WR is 15, LR is 4, WT is 8.
Third level rogue with 12 con. Max HP is 31, WR is 18, LR is 6, WT is 7.
Tenth level barbarian with 17 con. Max HP is 127, WR is 37, LR is 15, WT is 15.
First level wizard with 9 con. Max HP is 13, WR is 11, LR is 2, WT is 4.
Okay, now, what do these numbers mean.
Combat resolves as normal, with the following HP based triggers:
Someone gets dealt an amount of lethal damage higher than their WT: They need to make a fort save DC 5+damage dealt or become fatigued, this stacks with itself. Direct magical healing will fix this, fast healing and the like won't. A good night's rest will also fix this.
Someone gets damaged so much their HP becomes below their WR, they become fatigued, this lasts until their HP rises above their WR again.
Someone gets damaged so much their HP becomes below their LR become disabled (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/injuryandDeath.htm#disabled0HitPoints), this lasts until their HP rises above their LR again.
Someone gets damaged so much their HP becomes negative. They are now inconscious and dying, dying is revised from the original system. Each turn the dying character needs to roll a fortitude save, there are 3 DCs. 5 - total hit points to avoid death, 15 - total hit points to avoid taking 1d3 damage for every 5 negative hit points, and 20 - total hit points to become stable. Just like in the non houseruled version of HP, magical healing will make a dying character stable.
Just to be sure: death is no longer fixed at -10 HP, instead death is defined as a condition that turns the character into an object with - in all ability scores and no actions at all.
Problems:
For a supposedly heroic game, low level characters are way too vulnerable.
At high levels doing direct damage is only a viable tactic when employing large amounts of cheese.
Hit point damage does nothing unless it is enough to immediately down you.
It is too predictible when someone who is in their negatives will die.
Now, for my solution, first I will give some formulae.
Characters have a number of maximum hit point of their con score + their character level + HP provided by hit dice. (Max HP)
Characters have a wound range of their con score + twice their character level. (WR)
Characters have a lethal range of their con mod + their character level (rounded down) + 2. (LR)
Characters have a wound threshold of their con mod + their base fort save + 5. (WT)
So, to take some example characters (assuming average HP here.)
First level fighter with 13 con. Max HP is 25, WR is 15, LR is 4, WT is 8.
Third level rogue with 12 con. Max HP is 31, WR is 18, LR is 6, WT is 7.
Tenth level barbarian with 17 con. Max HP is 127, WR is 37, LR is 15, WT is 15.
First level wizard with 9 con. Max HP is 13, WR is 11, LR is 2, WT is 4.
Okay, now, what do these numbers mean.
Combat resolves as normal, with the following HP based triggers:
Someone gets dealt an amount of lethal damage higher than their WT: They need to make a fort save DC 5+damage dealt or become fatigued, this stacks with itself. Direct magical healing will fix this, fast healing and the like won't. A good night's rest will also fix this.
Someone gets damaged so much their HP becomes below their WR, they become fatigued, this lasts until their HP rises above their WR again.
Someone gets damaged so much their HP becomes below their LR become disabled (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/injuryandDeath.htm#disabled0HitPoints), this lasts until their HP rises above their LR again.
Someone gets damaged so much their HP becomes negative. They are now inconscious and dying, dying is revised from the original system. Each turn the dying character needs to roll a fortitude save, there are 3 DCs. 5 - total hit points to avoid death, 15 - total hit points to avoid taking 1d3 damage for every 5 negative hit points, and 20 - total hit points to become stable. Just like in the non houseruled version of HP, magical healing will make a dying character stable.
Just to be sure: death is no longer fixed at -10 HP, instead death is defined as a condition that turns the character into an object with - in all ability scores and no actions at all.