D&D General Exhaustion levels *before* death saves

[doghead]

Given that this is for a one shot with relatively novice players, how about just removing the possibility of character death entirely? If a character is reduced to zero HP they are incapacitated/unconscious until they are restored to 1 or more HP.

Having a character removed from play for a period of time is not an insignificant consequence. But it ensures that all characters will make it through to the boss fight. For which you could introduce some variant of the black flag rule if you want to up the stakes.

thotd

 

[Li Shenron]

Also your idea of using CR 1 and 2 monsters against a Level 1 party of newbs is likely to result in a TPK. Unless you’re planning on each encounter to be a solo.

Given that this is for a one shot with relatively novice players, how about just removing the possibility of character death entirely? If a character is reduced to zero HP they are incapacitated/unconscious until they are restored to 1 or more HP.

Having a character removed from play for a period of time is not an insignificant consequence. But it ensures that all characters will make it through to the boss fight. For which you could introduce some variant of the black flag rule if you want to up the stakes.

The CR boss is indeed going to be a solo to reduce the risk. The house rule I am considering is precisely to avoid character death. I am thinking that even double HP is not enough, if the monster rolls high damage a PC can still go unconscious and that might start a "group death spiral" by losing actions. I am less concerned with individual death spirals: if the PCs stay conscious, they keep contributing to the fight, and the player is still playing. But they also get a sense of increasing danger. As a last resort, if things go really badly, they can still run away, something they can't if unconscious.

 

[MarkB]

The CR boss is indeed going to be a solo to reduce the risk. The house rule I am considering is precisely to avoid character death. I am thinking that even double HP is not enough, if the monster rolls high damage a PC can still go unconscious and that might start a "group death spiral" by losing actions. I am less concerned with individual death spirals: if the PCs stay conscious, they keep contributing to the fight, and the player is still playing. But they also get a sense of increasing danger. As a last resort, if things go really badly, they can still run away, something they can't if unconscious.

Assuming you're using the 2014 exhaustion rules, running away will be tricky once they hit level 2 exhaustion. And the exhaustion effects are a bit weird in this context. For purposes of a first level character who is actually staying in the fight rather than escaping, levels 1, 2 and 4 basically don't do anything - you're making few ability checks in combat, positioning is less crucial against a single opponent so speed is less of an issue, and hit point maximum is irrelevant when you're already at zero with little or no healing available.

Your average CR 1 or 2 monster will basically seriously injure or incapacitate (or, under these rules, mildly inconvenience) one PC per round unless they have decent multiattack or area effect options (I still remember one time a DM thought it was a good idea to put a 1st level party up against magma mephits in a small room, 3 out of 5 PCs down in the first round and it was a miracle it didn't end in a TPK).

With nobody actually dropping action economy should win out in the end, but if multiple primary damage dealers get down to level 3 exhaustion and it's a high-AC monster, it could turn into an unsatisfying slogfest, with PCs missing turn after turn while the monster plinks away at them with what would have been fatal hits but aren't.

 

[Li Shenron]

Assuming you're using the 2014 exhaustion rules, running away will be tricky once they hit level 2 exhaustion.

They will be in a dungeon for the last battle, if it really goes as bad as having to retreat, fleeing won't be a matter of simply comparing speed scores.

And again, I am not married to the exact effects of exhaustion. I haven't decided yet, but I might use different penalties.