This has been bothering me lately. While I can see the reasoning that you're knocked out when you're below 0 HP (thus offering a brief window of mercy in comparison to earlier editions), it doesn't really emulate fantasy literature. (Please spare me the cries of "Swine" until you've read the whole idea.) Now, on the whole, I'm not interested in perfectly emulating fantasy lit for a few reasons, as this would involve pushing hit points past the abstraction mark of 4e and completely reworking how healing magic works. However, when dealing with literature, the PCs rarely are knocked unconscious (and when they are, it's often a cop-out to put them in some new situation). Instead, they are weakened and wounded but not entirely disabled. So what I'm thinking of doing is as follows:
When you hit 0 HP, you are incapacitated. You are left weakened and debilitated, but you are still conscious and cognizant of your surroundings.
Once incapacitated, you fall prone and are begin to lose hit points at a rate of 1 per round on the beginning of your next turn until you stabilize. (The 3e stabilization rules are terrible but let's leave them as-is for now.) You may take only a single action each round (even if that action is a swift or immediate action), and you may not take any action that takes longer than a standard action.
You may crawl while incapacitated, but only up to half of your base speed. (This means that monks crawl really, really fast.) This movement provokes attacks of opportunity for moving out of an enemy's threatened square as normal.
Spellcasters attempting to cast a spell while incapacitated must make a Concentration check equal to 15 + twice the spell's level + the total number of hit points they are below 0. (That is, a caster at -5 HP would have to make a Concentration check equal to 20 + twice the spell's level, while a caster at -8 HP would have to make a Concentration check equal to 23 + twice the spell's level.)
Quote from: B.T.;522477This has been bothering me lately. While I can see the reasoning that you're knocked out when you're below 0 HP (thus offering a brief window of mercy in comparison to earlier editions), it doesn't really emulate fantasy literature.
Fantasy literate which features main characters getting knocked out due to being physically injured:
Lord of the Rings
Conan
John Carter of Mars
Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser
Amber
I guess I'm unclear on what "fantasy literature" you're talking about.
I'm really more interested in getting feedback on the rule than getting into an argument about fantasy literature. I was just posting what I had witnessed in my experience. (Of course, it's been awhile since I've read anything other than the Wheel of Time series so I may be incorrect.) If you want to discuss it further, you should make another thread about it.
Quote from: B.T.;522477So what I'm thinking of doing is as follows:
When you hit 0 HP, you are incapacitated. You are left weakened and debilitated, but you are still conscious and cognizant of your surroundings.
Once incapacitated, you fall prone and are begin to lose hit points at a rate of 1 per round on the beginning of your next turn until you stabilize. (The 3e stabilization rules are terrible but let's leave them as-is for now.) You may take only a single action each round (even if that action is a swift or immediate action), and you may not take any action that takes longer than a standard action.
You may crawl while incapacitated, but only up to half of your base speed. (This means that monks crawl really, really fast.) This movement provokes attacks of opportunity for moving out of an enemy's threatened square as normal.
Spellcasters attempting to cast a spell while incapacitated must make a Concentration check equal to 15 + twice the spell's level + the total number of hit points they are below 0. (That is, a caster at -5 HP would have to make a Concentration check equal to 20 + twice the spell's level, while a caster at -8 HP would have to make a Concentration check equal to 23 + twice the spell's level.)
I cant see how it breaks anything, and its never really made sense to me that going under 0 Hit Points knocks you out, so I would try it.
Do characters still die at -10 or do you suggest another limit?
Also I think, the concentration check is bit too simple. It's not much harder than a regular concentration check when threatened. I'd go for 25 base.
Or you could go simple and change it to:
When reduced to zero HP, the next damage you take kills you, and you no longer can make saving throws. Plan accordingly.
The idea would be at zero HP you can no longer effectively defend yourself.
You could also do this as one of several stages (unharmed>one action>one action and prone>KO>dead) and count up to specific thresholds instead of counting down to zero. Especially helpful if all stages get bigger instead of having the flat ten point range of 3e (which actually increased the swinginess at higher levels).
Quote from: thecasualoblivion;522548Or you could go simple and change it to:
When reduced to zero HP, the next damage you take kills you, and you no longer can make saving throws. Plan accordingly.
The idea would be at zero HP you can no longer effectively defend yourself.
Problem with that is it's too lethal, in my opinion. Once a character is knocked out, he's a non-threat so the monster has a reason to move on to another target. Of course, now that I say this, I realize that my own rules have the same problem. I just wanted to let the fighter drink a potion to get back in the game, eternal sorrow.