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View Full Version : HP alt and Story levels (PEACH)



Orzel
2007-04-03, 04:27 AM
Here's a little thing I thought of the make d&d more like a story based game. In a story, people die equally based on impantance. Wizards, clerics and fighters alike live and die when the storyteller kills them off. So it this alternate they all have the same base HP and lose HD at different rates. This variant uses special DR and adds another form of HP called Story levels.

Story Damage Reduction is applied to all form of damage(except holy) and stacks with normal Damage reduction when it applies. SDP represent your character's abilty to stay alive.

Story levels is the representative of your PC's importance in the story. If your character performs a lot of heroics in a short period of time, it is likely that he/she might invoke a twist in the current situation. If your PC is hit by a disabling effect, he/she might be further harmed. When a character has less than 1 story levels, he or she suffers a -6 penalty to all attributes, and loses their SDR. Story levels rest to their maximum amount after an hour of no story level loss.

Special rules
Death Attacks and spell that cause instant death do not automatically kill characters. These actions, when successfully, cause a loss of 10 Story Levels. If this brings a character to 0 Story Levels, they die.

Characters with at least 5 story levels are immune to charms or compulsions. It take a bit work of control people.

Temporary Con and Cha increases raise SDR and Story levels respectively.



Story Damage Reduction = Con modifierx2 + Bonus SDR
Story levels = 5 + your HD + you Cha bonus (if any) + morale bonus to saves (if any)

{table=head] Former HD| New HD |Bonus SDR
d12|d8| 3xHD
d10|d8| 2xHD
d8|d8| 1xHD
d6|d8| 1/2xHD
d4|d8| 0| [/table]


{table=head] Action | Story Levels Lost
Successfully casting a spell| The level of the spell
Successfully manifesting a power| The level of the power - 1
Dropping a foe with a weapon| 1/4 of the dropped foe's HD
Rolling a natural 20| 1d2
Taking 20 or Taking 10 on a skill check| 1d4
Using an action point| 1d2
Hit by a sneak attack| 1 per sneak attack die
Fail a save versus a death effect| 10
Hit by critical hit| 2 times the weapon's critical multiplier
Targetted by a charm or complusion spell| 1d6
[/table]


So a 5th level sorcerer with 14 Constitution and 16 Charisma would have 5d8 HP, SDR 4/-, and 13 Story levels. A 5th level paladin with 16 Constitution and 12 Charisma would have 5d8 HP, SDR 16/-, and 11 Story levels. A Barbarian3/Ranger2 with 14 Constitution and 8 Charisma would have 5d8 HP, SDR /20-, and 10 Story levels when raging.


Metagame Analysis.

As levels increase, martial characters and Con based classes can shrug off weak hits with ease. Reducing their story levels is a must because they can eat damage all day. But they and everyone have a lot few HP. This makes big damage more dangerous.

Spellcaster risk story level loss if they cast many spells in a short time. Only Charisma based class can afford to "nova" in an encounter at higher levels. Casters will have to limit their spell levels cast per encounter.

Skill users are hurt less. Through they are easier to kill due to low SDR, they rarely drain their own story levels.

New feat


Importance [General]
Benefit

You gain +3 tory levels.
Special

A character may gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

Latronis
2007-04-03, 05:15 AM
how does that accomadate the heroic death in literature

Orzel
2007-04-04, 12:45 AM
You die normally. It's just that people who cleave through mooks, bust through spells, and knock over monster heads are
more likely to catch a lucky arrow with their heart.