Thanks Aethelstan, I gather you mean
this thread.
I like your "hurt" status, I think I'll adapt that, but generally your system is a bit too complicated for my taste.
After my first thoughts & some input from my brother (one of my players) I've refined my system:
Errant's Rapid Healing House Rule
Hit Points are determined normally. Healthy characters have 0 Wound Points, every Wound Point sustained effectively drops Constitution by one but is recorded seperately (like subdual damage) in case Con lost to Wounds needs to be differentiated from Con lost to special attacks (for instance).
Hit point damage sustained in combat is recorded normally. Out of combat, lost hit points naturally heal at a rate of one point per character level per minute of rest or light activity (nothing more strenuous than walking with a light load or less).
Every time you receive a critical hit, every time a hit drops you to less than half your maximum hit points, and every time you roll a natural 1 on a Saving throw against a spell that inflicts HPs damage, you suffer a Wound Point. Each Wound Point causes temporary loss of one Constitution point, reducing your maximum possible HPs but not your current HPs unless your adjusted maximum drops under your current HPs. Wounds heal at a rate of one point per day of rest or light activity.
Magical healing of Level 1 or better (i.e. not counting L0 spells) immediately restores full hit points as per normal plus one Wound (lost Con) point per 10 points healed (rounded up).
The Heal skill, applied within 10 minutes of receiving a Wound, can restore 1 Wound point for every 10 points rolled (rounded down).
If a character’s Constitution is dropped to 0 or less due to Wounds he is treated exactly the same as if he is reduced to 0 or less Hit Points.
A character with one or more Wound points is Wounded as suffers a –1 penalty on Attack rolls, Saving Throws, & Skill Checks. If a character is Wounded and on less than half maximum HPs (adjusted for Wounds) he is also Fatigued (can’t run or charge, -2 Str, -2 Dex, etc. a/p PHB rules).
Examples:
Ardan is an 8th level Paladin with a 14 Constitution points, 64 HPs maximum, and a Heal skill bonus of +6.
After tracking some evil cultists to their lair, Ardan enters warily and is attacked by two guards. They land a couple of blows, doing 18 HPs damage, but despatches easily. After the fight he pauses, catching his breath and listening for more guards. 3 minutes later, after recovering 8 HPs in the first 2 minutes then his last 2 HPs in the 3rd minute, he is back to full HPs and ventures further into the lair.
Reaching a hallway junction hears a click as he steps forward setting off a trap and a steel bolt shoots out of a wall inflicting 10 points damage as a gong sounds in the distance. Bouncing off his breastplate, the bolt leaves him bruised (on 54 HPs) and seconds later 3 guards rush toward him from an alcove ahead. Sustaining another 20 points damage while before he can defeat the first 2 guards, he is down to 34 HPs when the last guard strikes him for another 6 points dropping him to 28 points (less than half his maximum) and inflicting a Wound point (-1 Con). Then the last guard lands a critical blow, dealing 12 HPs and inflicting two Wound points (one for being a critical hit, one for dropping Ardan’s HPs to under half again). Before he can hit again, Ardan drops him. Battered and bleeding, Ardan is left with 16 HPs and he has sustained 3 Wound Points. Casting his only Cure Light Wounds spell (for 1d8+5 HPs), Ardan heals 11 HPs (on a roll of 6+5) and 1 Wound Point. Then he uses his Lay On Hands ability to cure another 16 HPs and healing the last 2 Wound Points. Back to 43 HPs, gets two minutes rest, recovering another 16 HPs (back to 59 HPs) before he hears a door open and another figure steps into view at the end of the hall, the evil priest leading the cultists.
The evil priest reads from a scroll and hurls a Flame Strike at Ardan, rolling a 1 on his saving throw, the paladin takes 42 HPs damage and 2 Wound Points (one for being dropped to less than half & one for rolling a 1 on his save), leaving him with 17 HPs. Hurting badly, Ardan quaffs his Potion of Cure Moderate (2d8+10 healing), recovering 20 HPs and both Wound Points as the priest draws a mace and closes in. On 37 HPs, all of his healing magic gone, Ardan smites his opponent and it is the priest’s turn to hurt. The priest strikes Ardan for 9 points, inflicting another wound point (dropped to under half again), then two critical hits, inflicting 24 HPs damage and 4 more Wound Points but Ardan is triumphant and it is the priest that falls. Down to 6 HPs, with 5 Wound Points (-5 Con), Ardan uses his Heal skill to treat his wounds. Rolling a 12, he scores 21 on his Heal skill check, curing 2 Wound Points. He then spends 10 minutes searching the guards and the fallen priest looking for clues as to who is behind their activities. Still suffering from 3 Wound Points (-3 Con) his HPs heal back to a reduced maximum of 56. Limping, he finds what he sought and heads back to town, luckily facing no more opposition on the way.
With luck, Ardan or someone else with a good Heal skill can cure his 3 remaining Wound points in a few days (1 point per day of rest minimum, 2 points per day on a successful long-term-care Heal check). To be ready for action, Ardan chooses to use his Lay On Hands and another Cure Light Wounds spell to be back to full fitness the next day.
I think its simple enough to keep track of without too much paperwork but still lets PCs get back in the action quicker without expending too much magical healing between fights.
[edit - clarified effect of reduced Con on current HPs, adjusted magical healing effects]
