In general, I don't like dickering about with negative Hit Points and the usual rules for death and dying.  Instead, when a character reaches zero Hit Points (or less) their player has the privilege of rolling on the following table to determine their character's fate:

1-2 A Second Chance – the character is unphased by a blow that would fell a lesser creature; they may act normally.

3-5 A Stunning Blow – the character is not killed, but is instead stunned (may take no actions) for 1d4 rounds.

6-10 A Felling Blow – the character is knocked unconscious and must make a successful Saving Throw vs. Death or die every turn until they receive doctoring or magical healing.

11 A Crippling Blow – the character is knocked unconscious and additionally suffers a loss of 1d4 points of Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity (determine which randomly).

12 A Blow to the Head – the character is knocked unconscious and additionally suffers a loss of 1d4 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (determine which randomly).

13-14 A Death-defying Stand! – the character has been mortally wounded and will die in 1d10 rounds unless medical aid or magical healing is obtained.  Until that time the character may act normally as they grit their teeth and fight on through the pain.

15-18 The Reaper's Scythe Falls – the character dies.  Raise Dead or similar is their only hope now.

19-20 Horrific Demise! – the character is dispatched in a truly gruesome, stomach-churning manner.  It's going to take a Resurrection spell to bring them back from beyond the veil.  All allies who witness this atrocity must make an immediate Saving Throw vs. Horror.

You might want to label this as a "death & dismemberment table", since that's what these are usually called. So someone doing a Google search can find yours and use it...

Quote from: talysman;547373You might want to label this as a "death & dismemberment table", since that's what these are usually called. So someone doing a Google search can find yours and use it...

Good to know!  

Does theRPGsite really come up when people are searching for house rules though?

It ought to. ENWorld, Dragonsfoot, ODD74, and RPGNet come up.

So this basically replaces the Damage mechanic once you hit 0hp? Roll again each time you are hit while at 0 hp.

Here are the things that jump out at me.

Love the gradient from "you'll live, KEEP GOING!" (the first two options) up to "Death Defying Stand", although some of the items feel out of order. Maybe move "Death Defying Stand" to 6-10. Leave the character conscious for 11 and 12, then slot "A Felling Blow" in at 13-14.

This smooths that gradient a bit, and you could allow the character to subtract a common bonus (Con?) from the roll as a modifier, to get a lower (more beneficial) result.

RPG Site threads do come up in Google searches, yes.

Quote from: Telarus;547381So this basically replaces the Damage mechanic once you hit 0hp? Roll again each time you are hit while at 0 hp.

Here are the things that jump out at me.

Love the gradient from "you'll live, KEEP GOING!" (the first two options) up to "Death Defying Stand", although some of the items feel out of order. Maybe move "Death Defying Stand" to 6-10. Leave the character conscious for 11 and 12, then slot "A Felling Blow" in at 13-14.

This smooths that gradient a bit, and you could allow the character to subtract a common bonus (Con?) from the roll as a modifier, to get a lower (more beneficial) result.

Those are all good ideas!

To be honest, I didn't even think of it being a gradient when I wrote it.  I just came up with rough percentages of what I'd like the outcomes to be.

Very cool table, Mr. G.

ACKS has a more extensive, but much more complicated death & dismemberment table, with very specific results such as paraplegia and emasculation.

I like the idea, it's pretty much the only sane way to implement crippling injuries in a non-hit-location, generic hit point system. And it's great or a certain kind of campaign.

Quote from: The Butcher;547392Very cool table, Mr. G.

ACKS has a more extensive, but much more complicated death & dismemberment table, with very specific results such as paraplegia and emasculation.

I like the idea, it's pretty much the only sane way to implement crippling injuries in a non-hit-location, generic hit point system. And it's great or a certain kind of campaign.

Thanks, man!

I think the ACKS table is probably cool, but more detailed than I'd want.  There is a middle ground between Rolemaster and D&D that I'm trying to find here, heh.

Interesting, I don't have a problem with the standard rules but I do love random tables, all kinds of random tables. This particular one would give my characters an unfair advantage though given I roll low far more than the statistical average.  Just something to keep in mind.

The table needs a dagger up the strap result.

I mean, If you're gonna have a blow to the head and all......

This table reminds me of some of the old damage tables for MERP/Rolemaster.  "Poor fool expires in a heap immediately."

My favorite from Arduin:
"Head pulped and splattered over a wide area; irrevocable death ensues."

Quote from: talysman;547380It ought to. ENWorld, Dragonsfoot, ODD74, and RPGNet come up.

Aaaaahhh he said the word that should not be said to a Knight of Neeek.

RPGNet, aaaaaaaaa I said it.........