D&D 5E New Death and Dying Rules

[Kobold Stew]

I like the idea (three failures; damage counts as failure), but the exact implementation is going to have to change, I feel, since a first-level spell can kill any unconscious being instantly.

Magic missile creates three unerring darts that do 1d4+1, range 100 feet. Cast the spell, the three darts kill the victim without fail.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Magic missile creates three unerring darts that do 1d4+1, range 100 feet. Cast the spell, the three darts kill the victim without fail.

It's still only a single attack, causing only one failure.

 

[Warbringer]

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It's still only a single attack, causing only one failure.

Is it? Or because each missile can be directed at a different target, its three attacks...

Its a good point

 

[Markn]

I like no longer having to track negative hp's.

I think the massive damage rule is silly. It may have some effect on low levels (level 1, maybe level 2) but beyond that if you take enough damage to die from massive damage then the math of the game has failed. It just does not make sense to me. I do like that further damage is an automatic failed death save.

One thing I have hated is the Spare the Dying spell (or whatever it has been previously called). I would much prefer that it stabilizes someone rather than bringing them up to 1hp. As a DM, if the PCs are facing a single foe (or very few foes) and the cleric keeps bringing an ally back into the fight at 1hp, then dropping the ally does nothing for me. I have no choice but to target the cleric to remove the allies getting back into the fight. I find this unsatisfying and I'm sure the cleric player would also. Now, if you were brought to 1hp and still had to track the death saves you failed, that would be fine, but since death saves get reset once you gain healing I continue to find this a frustrating event at my table.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I like no longer having to track negative hp's.

I think the massive damage rule is silly. It may have some effect on low levels (level 1, maybe level 2) but beyond that if you take enough damage to die from massive damage then the math of the game has failed. It just does not make sense to me. I do like that further damage is an automatic failed death save.

One thing I have hated is the Spare the Dying spell (or whatever it has been previously called). I would much prefer that it stabilizes someone rather than bringing them up to 1hp. As a DM, if the PCs are facing a single foe (or very few foes) and the cleric keeps bringing an ally back into the fight at 1hp, then dropping the ally does nothing for me. I have no choice but to target the cleric to remove the allies getting back into the fight. I find this unsatisfying and I'm sure the cleric player would also. Now, if you were brought to 1hp and still had to track the death saves you failed, that would be fine, but since death saves get reset once you gain healing I continue to find this a frustrating event at my table.

I agree. Bringing dropped characters back into the fight makes healing way too powerful, and the game becomes silly.

And how can you have a swift touch spell, anyway?

 

[Kobold Stew]

"Each time a creature...takes damage..." (How to play, p. 18)
Magic missile creates multiple darts that strike "simultaneously" (Spells, ad loc.)

-- three strikes each hit one time (that's the sense of time in the death and dying rules), even though they all hit at the same time.

Whatever is intended, though, it can be tightened up.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

I still prefer dead at zero, period.

 

[Sunseeker]

You don't. Whenever you take any damage while dying, that counts as 2 death save failures (out of 3). If you take enough damage past zero that it totals your max hp (in one instance of damage), you die.

I actually don't like this. It basically lets the enemy AOE once and then leaves you with one saving throw, which kinda sucks.

The rest of it I rather like, however, I think negative HP is a little high....

 

[GX.Sigma]

"Each time a creature...takes damage..." (How to play, p. 18)
Magic missile creates multiple darts that strike "simultaneously" (Spells, ad loc.)

-- three strikes each hit one time (that's the sense of time in the death and dying rules), even though they all hit at the same time.

Whatever is intended, though, it can be tightened up.

Wording things like Magic cards solves these problems.

"Whenever a creature...takes damage..."
"Each dart deals [x] damage"

The "whenever" effect would trigger for each instance of damage separately, even if they occur simultaneously.

A lot of things in the playtest document are very poorly worded and unclear, and Magic templating would solve all of it.

I actually don't like this. It basically lets the enemy AOE once and then leaves you with one saving throw, which kinda sucks.

The rest of it I rather like, however, I think negative HP is a little high....

I was wrong; damage when dying counts as one death save failure. Is it too lethal? I dunno, I think a character loses their right to complain about lethality when they're alive at 0 hp.

 

[variant]

I do not like it based around hit points. Having it based around Constitution is simply better. I also think the rules should be at 0 hit points you have to make a saving throw to stay conscious.