idea for limiting insta-kill spells

[seasong]

The idea of a character diving into the melee to stabilize a friend who just got hit by the psychic equivalent of a disemboweling appeals a great deal to me. I think the -9 rule isn't so good, however, because it keeps buffing spells in place, gives them a 10% chance not to need their friends, and won't work for characters who have magical effects that prevent death at that point.

Perhaps a One Round rule? When someone gets hit with a save or die and fails, they die... but a friend who stabilizes them within a single round (requiring a Fort save, perhaps) brings them back to -9. Then describe to them the fiendish tortures that await them in the afterlife, or whatever suits your fancy and setting .

This does reduce the utility of save or die spells, however. One way to boost it back up might be, like Angcuru mentioned, some temporary ability score damage. Maybe not quite so extreme, though .

 

[Plane Sailing]

The idea of a character diving into the melee to stabilize a friend who just got hit by the psychic equivalent of a disemboweling appeals a great deal to me. I think the -9 rule isn't so good, however, because it keeps buffing spells in place, gives them a 10% chance not to need their friends, and won't work for characters who have magical effects that prevent death at that point.

Perhaps a One Round rule? When someone gets hit with a save or die and fails, they die... but a friend who stabilizes them within a single round (requiring a Fort save, perhaps) brings them back to -9.

Some good points made all round.

One way of handling the One Round Rule might be to borrow the "Minor Medical Miracle" rule (actually class ability) from d20 modern. If you get to someone within a round (in that case 3r, but that might be too long for my purposes) and make a DC30 healing check, then they are allowed a DC20 Fort to save to come back at -9.

Firelance - I really like your ideas, and the effect sounds cool. I think I need to find a simple one-size-fits-all solution though. One thing I've learnt over years of rules-writing is that "simpler is better"

Thanks for all the help and feedback
Cheers