House rule to Replace the flat DC15 for massive damage

[IceBear]

Well, I've rarely seen any of my PCs dish out more than 50points of damage with one attack anyway, so in my case it's has always seemed that it affects the PCs more than the monsters. Also, my players prefer a long drawn out battle with the bad guys, not a lucky hit and it's dead (weird I know) as that's what they feel is heroic.

With this rule, the PCs could actually cause more Massive Death than they ever have before as at the lower levels they could be dishing out enough damage to cause a monster to have to save.

Hmmmm - actually, that's a major flaw. I don't want every second roll in low level combat to be a Fort save as that will slow things down too much. I will have to use the original values as a minimum requirement (as someone else pointed out) first.

So, modified rule is:

Massive Damage Threshold (MDT) is 1/2 maximum hitpoints (round up). The minimum value is the original Massive Damage Threshold by size (ie 50hp for Medium creatures)

Anyone taking damage from one source equal to or greater than 1/2 maximum hitpoints must make a Fort save

DC for Fort save = 15 + [(Damage - MDT)/10] (rounded down)

Character that fails the save is reduced to -1 hp (at least) and is dying.

Edit: Maybe using the Constitution score modifier above makes more sense, but then I have to actually record another stat for every monster instead of just looking at half the hp.

IceBear

 

[Al]

You seem to have missed my disclaimer about it being good for a low magic setting.

Fair enough, but I still beg to disagree. Magic is simply the most expedient example to illustrate the point.

High-critical weapons can also get damage into the low orbit. Consider the raging orc barbarian (24 Str) wielding a greataxe and scoring a critical. Save DC= 3d12+30-Con. Bearing in mind this is a low magic setting that is a save DC you are very unlikely to be able to make.

The emphasis shifts very strongly onto high-critical weapons. Note that I even refrained from using a scythe or mercurial greatsword (fancy a save DC 8d6+40-Con?)

 

[uv23]

Consider the raging orc barbarian (24 Str) wielding a greataxe and scoring a critical.

I have considered it and quite like the scenario. If a charater is criticalled by a raging orc barbarian wielding a greataxe then IMO there should be a real chance of dying! As an old school gamer of countless systems, I never fully accepted hitpoints. And systems like grim & gritty are too complex and incomplete. So here we have a system where a character's constitution is actually a real measurement of their survivability. It works well with creatures too since tougher monsters invariably have especially high constitutions. In my world, you better have an army backing you if you intend to take down a dragon.

 

[Al]

I have considered it and quite like the scenario. If a charater is criticalled by a raging orc barbarian wielding a greataxe then IMO there should be a real chance of dying! As an old school gamer of countless systems, I never fully accepted hitpoints. And systems like grim & gritty are too complex and incomplete. So here we have a system where a character's constitution is actually a real measurement of their survivability. It works well with creatures too since tougher monsters invariably have especially high constitutions. In my world, you better have an army backing you if you intend to take down a dragon.

Fair enough. To each his own, I guess.

If I ever play in your campaign, remind me to be an orcish barbarian

 

[The Souljourner]

Personally I think the whole death by massive damage thing goes against the spirit of D&D anyway. At 20th level you have guys who can fall from orbit onto a bed of adamantium spikes and get up and walk away.

Damage takes away from your hitpoints... that should be its only function. If you happen to do gobs and gobs of damage in one hit... why should you get to cause a special save? You just did gobs and gobs of damage... the creature is either a.) dead b.) mostly dead, or C.) Too powerful to be getting killed by such a blow. Any way you slice it, death by massive damage is just a dumb idea.

Either the massive damage kills the guy or it doesn't, in which case it just wasn't massive enough.

Here's my death by massive damage: If you do a creature's current hitpoints +10 in one hit, it dies, no save.

-The Souljourner