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View Full Version : The Quick and the Dead (hp variant)



Ashtagon
2011-05-01, 03:08 AM
Traditionally, "the quick" meant "the living", but taking that play on words, it would seem to imply that Dexterity, the ability most related to being "quick", should affect your hit point totals.

So...

Dexterity does not provide a bonus to Armour Class in this variant. Instead, it provides a bonus to hit points. Constitution does not provide a bonus to hit points.

In addition to hit points, character's have a "body points" score, which is by default equal to their Constitution score (score, not bonus) plus their Fortitude saving throw bonus (ie. do not count the bonus from Constitution, just the base bonus from class levels). These body points replace the usual "-10 hp" threshold before a character is truly dead.

If a character is unconscious, any attack goes directly to body points. Assassin's strike attacks (but not regular sneak attacks) also go directly to body points.

Losing body points, or being at 0 hit points, does not cause unconsciousness, nor does it risk progressive hit point or body point loss if you perform standard or full-round actions.

Any time a character takes body point damage, he must make a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means a limb (chosen at random) is crippled (nb. crippled, not amputated). Losing an arm makes that arm useless, while losing a leg halves your speed. In addition, the character suffers a -4 penalty on all skill checks and attack rolls that the GM considers relevant to that limb loss. This can be cured by a restoration spell (4th level cleric spell).

New Feats

Iron Man

Prerequisite: Constitution 13, fortitude save +2.

Benefit: You may use your Constitution bonus instead of your Dexterity modifier when determining your hit point total.

Toughness (modified feat)

Benefit: You gain +1 body point per character level, or +3 body points, whichever is higher.

Silva Stormrage
2011-05-01, 04:46 PM
The problem with this variant can be illustrated with a question. Which should have more HP, Conan or Legolas? Conan definitely has more constitution and Legolas has more dexterity? I personally think a barbarian should definitely have more hit points than an archer or two weapon fighter.

Mulletmanalive
2011-05-01, 04:57 PM
things this would need to work for me:
Strip all bonuses to hit from stats from the system [unless they're unique things]
Non-magical ability to restore crippled limbs [storybook medicine, while slow, is usually good]
Clarification of the recovery of both kinds of points [the hp here smack of vitality so i expect they come back fast]
Suitable rewriting of the cure spells
Does DR affect hp or just BP?