What do you think of this house rule?

[killem2]

We've, almost out of no where really, decide that you are not dead dead until you are at -10 or lower, by the time it would have came back ground to your turn in the initiative order.


Giving time for someone to possibly bring you back to life. (we use this for bad guys as well)

Thoughts?

[ahenobarbi]

Might be a bit weird. If guy right-before-you in initiative order drops you to -11 you die instantly. If gal right-after-you in initiative order drops you to -11 you have 6 more seconds to live. If gol[em] drops you to -11 in attack of opportunity during your turn... um, what happens?

[Amphetryon]

We've, almost out of no where really, decide that you are not dead dead until you are at -11 or lower, by the time it would have came back ground to your turn in the initiative order.


Giving time for someone to possibly bring you back to life. (we use this for bad guys as well)

Thoughts?
As an arbitrary number, it works just fine. I'm curious as to what -11 gives that the book standard -10 does not, though.

For the record, my groups use -CON (-CHA for Necropolitans) or -10, whichever is more advantageous to the Character.

[killem2]

As an arbitrary number, it works just fine. I'm curious as to what -11 gives that the book standard -10 does not, though.

For the record, my groups use -CON (-CHA for Necropolitans) or -10, whichever is more advantageous to the Character.

Oh, my bad, I meant -10. lol I will update that!

[Garagos]

If you're using a -10 to be dead dead, how is that a house rule? That's the standard PHB rule for being dead. Maybe I'm not understanding something.

[ahenobarbi]

Hmm all in all it wouldn't matter much. It would add a little survivalability. Also you could use contingent heal rather than contingent resurrection to avoid dyeing.

[hymer]

If you're using a -10 to be dead dead, how is that a house rule? That's the standard PHB rule for being dead. Maybe I'm not understanding something.

I think he's saying that at -10 or below you die, but only after a round has passed, so someone can heal you above that if they're quick about it.

I think it's a decent rule. I often do things as DM to reduce beatstick melee death toll, often added as a bonus to feats like Endurance, Die Hard and Improved Toughness, which they tend to pick up, and casters don't.

[Glimbur]

Seems reasonable, especially for low to mid level games where raise dead is tricky to get. Just watch for stupidity like "I'm at the top of the tower, the party is at the bottom, it's faster for me to jump and they can just stabilize me when I land". Unless you want that to work, but it seems to be against the spirit of the rules. Maybe just handle that case by case, but if you wanted a strict rule maybe this only works in combat.

[killem2]

If you're using a -10 to be dead dead, how is that a house rule? That's the standard PHB rule for being dead. Maybe I'm not understanding something.

Let me put it this way.

In normal rules, when you are -10, you need a raise dead or equal like spell to come back the very moment you hit -10.

We have started doing it, in a way that as long as someone can get them back to -9 or higher before it would come back to their turn again.

[Amphetryon]

Seems reasonable, especially for low to mid level games where raise dead is tricky to get. Just watch for stupidity like "I'm at the top of the tower, the party is at the bottom, it's faster for me to jump and they can just stabilize me when I land". Unless you want that to work, but it seems to be against the spirit of the rules. Maybe just handle that case by case, but if you wanted a strict rule maybe this only works in combat.

You'd have to word it fairly strictly, so that, for example, falling from the back of a flying mount during combat was still technically outside the 'only works in combat' proviso.

[Dawgmoah]

We've, almost out of no where really, decide that you are not dead dead until you are at -10 or lower, by the time it would have came back ground to your turn in the initiative order.


Giving time for someone to possibly bring you back to life. (we use this for bad guys as well)

Thoughts?

Have the player group purchase a few Blessed Bandages, (Heroes of Battle, pg 131) for 10gp before going off into the dungeon/wild/adventure. Several times in recent memory they have saved a member of a party in a game I play in.

[killem2]

I am not worried about abuse, it really is only used in the OH CRAP ____ just got smmmaaacked! lol

[prufock]

If you're going for slightly less lethal, you can try my house rule: death saves. You get to go into negatives as far as your con score without making a death save - so a fighter with 20 con can go to -20. If you take any damage beyond that, you have to make a death save, which is a fortitude save with DC equal to the amount of negative hit points you have. If you have -21, the DC is 21. Each time you take further damage, you have to make another save, at the higher DC.

[killem2]

If you're going for slightly less lethal, you can try my house rule: death saves. You get to go into negatives as far as your con score without making a death save - so a fighter with 20 con can go to -20. If you take any damage beyond that, you have to make a death save, which is a fortitude save with DC equal to the amount of negative hit points you have. If you have -21, the DC is 21. Each time you take further damage, you have to make another save, at the higher DC.

This is pretty awesome. I may add this with the above. Feel really gritty when you think of it like that. Gives people a reason to really try hard to keep your friends from chasing the bright light. :smallbiggrin: