Improving on the Wound Vitality system

[Sadrik]

I have a slightly more heroic variant of the wound vitality system that I am very proud of:

Essentially its difference is that crits don't go through HP and deal wound damage. Also the threshold is added back in so that if you take 50 in a hit it also deals 1 wound.

Additionally, when you take wounds you make a FORT save to maintain consciousness. Technically, I use the terms HP and CON so rather than taking wounds you are taking CON damage. So the DC on the FORT save becomes more difficult once you take some CON. At 0 CON of course you are dead.

Save or die effects deal CON damage now based on the spell level. Fail a save or die effect you lose all HP and suffer CON damage equal to double the spell level. Phantasmal Killer - all HP and 8 CON damage, Wail of the banshee all HP and 18 CON damage.

So far the system has worked great.

 

[Bladesinger_Boy]

I'm not that familar with it, but Star Wars: Saga Edition has something similar I believe.

You do you like the system so far, then? Would you say it's more dramatic?

Adding back in the need for Con in relation to damage threshold and fort saves might be useful if Con was extra hp per level and something closer to 4E with a flat addition of Con score (not Con modifier per level).

In my opinion, if we go with adding Con score to HP (not Con modifier per level), we need to add rules like this about damage threshold or something like healing surges based off Con to still make Con a worthwhile stat still. Even the addition of other 4E rules like being able to add either your Str or Con to your fort save would demand more unique stuff only Con can do to keep it relevant and worth increasing.

 

[Sadrik]

Vitality And Wound Points :: d20srd.org

Honestly I developed my system independantly from the above but its form is such that it is almost entirely the same.

Here are my entire Combat rules:
Taking Damage
Hit Points represent your toughness, stamina, luck and skill during combat and CON represents your life force. Characters at zero HP begin to take CON damage. When a creature is at zero CON they are dead. When a character takes CON damage they must make a Fortitude save DC 20, if they fail they become disabled. While disabled if they sustain additional damage and the save is failed again they become unconscious and are dying. While dying roll another save every round or suffer another point of damage.
Stabilizing
A DC 15 Heal skill check or any sort of magical healing will automatically stabilize a dying creature, though it will not bring a creature back to consciousness. Roll a Fortitude save DC 20 every minute to return to consciousness. With someone tending a heal check DC 15 may be used instead.
Creatures without a CON Score
Have 10 + HD bonus HP, when their HP are at zero they are destroyed.
Critical Hits and Sneak Attacks
Can hit anything. Some undead, plants, elementals and constructs have the fortification magic item property.
Energy Drain
An energy drain attack deals 2 CON damage, instead of giving a negative level. Permanent level loss is dealt with by permanently losing 2 CON. Benefits for dealing a negative level remain the same.
Massive Damage
Massive damage causes 1 CON damage for every 50 points of damage sustained from a single attack. No other rules.
Death Spells
A failed save on a spell that causes death causes CON damage instead. The creature loses all HP and takes CON damage equal to double the spell level.