Nonlethal damage

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

I like the idea that shallow damage is depicted in d20 games. However I'm disappointed that it NEVER has an effect on normal HP. In real life, if a bloke was pummeling a guy for a long enough time (like a couple of minutes), eventually he'd give way and either die or need -serious- medical attention.

Also, re: starvation

Characters might find themselves without food or water and with no means to obtain them. In normal climates, Medium characters need at least a gallon of fluids and about a pound of decent food per day to avoid starvation. (Small characters need half as much.) In very hot climates, characters need two or three times as much water to avoid dehydration.

A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each day (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

Characters who have taken nonlethal damage from lack of food or water are fatigued. Nonlethal damage from thirst or starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets food or water, as needed -- not even magic that restores hit points (such as cure light wounds) heals this damage.

So a person can't naturally starve/dehydrate to death, just to perpetual fatigue and unconsciousness. Fascinating.

The house rule I use is that once NLD is equal to or greater than one's hit points (plus some other value if so desired), any excess is transferred to HP (lethal). This is similar to the two-gauge system in Shadowrun. What do you think of the idea? It seems to solve the problems of both perpetual beatings and nonlethal starvation.

In the case of natural regeneration (ex: that of a troll), it might work to waive this overdamage ruling (though it's a judgement call)

 

[avigor]

One idea that pops to mind here is convert every 5 or 10 points or so of nonlethal damage into lethal damage, including before you're knocked out.

Whaddaya think?

 

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

One idea that pops to mind here is convert every 5 or 10 points or so of nonlethal damage into lethal damage, including before you're knocked out.

Whaddaya think?

NLD does need its unique aspects, so it might work to have it so that every 5 points of NLD you take from a single action manifests in 1 point of lethal damage (rounded up) if you fail a Fort save (DC 10 + nonlethal damage dealt)

Your idea is alright, i take it that every time you take 5 points of NLD you also take one point of HP damage. Is that correct?

 

[Phlebas]

I like the idea that shallow damage is depicted in d20 games. However I'm disappointed that it NEVER has an effect on normal HP. In real life, if a bloke was pummeling a guy for a long enough time (like a couple of minutes), eventually he'd give way and either die or need -serious- medical attention.

I remember seeing something about how NLD leads to shaken, fatigued and then disabled (25%, 50%, 75% of current HP total in NLD)- might have been a house rule rather than RAW, can't check at the moment. Might give the effect you're looking for ?

Also, re: starvation
So a person can't naturally starve/dehydrate to death, just to perpetual fatigue and unconsciousness. Fascinating.
The house rule I use is that once NLD is equal to or greater than one's hit points (plus some other value if so desired), any excess is transferred to HP (lethal). This is similar to the two-gauge system in Shadowrun. What do you think of the idea? It seems to solve the problems of both perpetual beatings and nonlethal starvation.
In the case of natural regeneration (ex: that of a troll), it might work to waive this overdamage ruling (though it's a judgement call)

I'm with you , I'd go for NLD > your hit point total = real damage, so in the case of starvation you fall unconscious when your NLD reaches your Hit point total, and then take lethal damage until you die. but you're unconscious and alive for a while.

Having said that d6 hp / day is not very realistic for high level characters - maybe con damage (1 / day of failed save) might be better to represent the affect of starvation....

 

[TheCrazyMuffinMan]

Having said that d6 hp / day is not very realistic for high level characters - maybe con damage (1 / day of failed save) might be better to represent the affect of starvation....

1 damage to both CON and STR works. Starvation is neither a speedy nor a particularly pleasant process.