Last Stand - Revising Death Saves

[Green1]

Death saves are fine and one of the cooler legacy things kept from 4e.

Deadlier? Like an earlier suggestion, some NPCs would play for keeps with coup de gras, etc. . Particularly at higher level or if Mr. Cleric is around or if the PCs have nasty habits like coming back from the dead.

Handling it for NPCs? Don't have the books with me, but either the PHB or DMG says it is a DM option to use it for the Big Baddies. I personally would not use it for mooks. Too much stuff to keep up with as it is with some of the more complex combats we as DMs run.

 

[Sunseeker]

Handling it for NPCs? Don't have the books with me, but either the PHB or DMG says it is a DM option to use it for the Big Baddies. I personally would not use it for mooks. Too much stuff to keep up with as it is with some of the more complex combats we as DMs run.

I use the death and dying rules as a plot device mostly. In meaningful combats (ie: not random encounters) NPCs will often use the negative HP and death saving rules simply to allow players time to decide if they want to get any information out of the bad guys.

 

[Scorpio616]

If foes know or suspect a group can heal, they finish off those on the ground.

 

[Pandamonium87]

The fact that a player can instantly die from a single sword hit it's what I miss the most from PF/3.5
I'm house-ruling this way by implementing a new feature that every PC has. It's called challenging death and works this way:

- When you arrive at 0 you can make a CON or WIS save throw DC 15. If you fail the normal rules for death applies while if you suceed it you're challenging death. Given the particular state of mind while you're challenging death you lose the ability to have a free "interaction with an object" action.

- When it's your turn if you're challenging death you make a death save:

1: you write two failures on the death saving throws chart and you're not challenging death anymore, becoming unconscious. You also gain a level of exhaustion.
2-9: you write a failure on the death saving throws chart, but you're able to act even if you can only move at half speed and make a bonus action. You also gain another level of exhaustion.
10-19: you write a success on the death saving throws chart, you can move at half of your speed and you can make an action or a bonus action.
20: you regain 1 hp as usual.

A character can be stabilized while he's challenging death only by magical means. If he's stabilized he gets advantage on his next death save.
If a character receives damage while he's challenging death he writes two failures on the death chart and he gets disadvantage on his next death save.

Edit: I forgot to say you can only challenge death 1/long rest