Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
Well, I wouldn't go into that much detail for an NPC, you're right. I'm not sure going to zero and needing some help is necessarily that uncommon for PCs in 4e. It probably depends on how you play. I also don't associate that with 'gritty'. It could as well simply be associated with a campaign with a flavor of brutally dangerous fights. They could be crazy wire-fu affairs just as easily as not...
Care to elaborate your wound rule...
The only case where I recall really liking such a rule involved voluntary accepting wounds for some immediate benefit. The wounds are afflictions which is mostly passive but where activity aggravates and induces short term conditions.
Hmmm what if I make that a utility power for the tough guy heros