D&D 5E A death save house rule proposal

[ezo]

I think this is a pretty clean way to do it (you might want to specify bonuses to saving throws do not alter this unless it is specifically a bonus to death saving throws). Otherwise like paladins become ridiculously resistant to death.

I cannot speak for @Charlaquin, but for myself any bonus to a saving throw would add here, as normal.

Yes, Paladins don't die easily when "in the hands of Fate."

The ONLY issue is, technically as long as you are only suffering from one source of damage....you are immortal.

Example:

The fighter falls into lava going to 0 hp. They fail their save, and become stunned. On their turn, they are no longer stunned at the end of their turn. After their turn, the lava damages them again....and they become stunned (or maybe even stable depending on how the save goes, but lets just assumed stunned for now).

And this repeats ad naseum. As long as its only 1 source of damage, the fighter does not die.

Unless the fighter has +8 on his save somehow... The only instance I can think of this happening is a Paladin +5 CHA, Ring of Protection +1, Cloak of Protection +1, and Luck Stone +1. There might be more in 2024, but I have no idea what there is.

Otherwise, eventually the cycle will end and the creature to move on to Unconscious, and fail the save again (eventually) and die.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think this is a pretty clean way to do it (you might want to specify bonuses to saving throws do not alter this unless it is specifically a bonus to death saving throws). Otherwise like paladins become ridiculously resistant to death.

The ONLY issue is, technically as long as you are only suffering from one source of damage....you are immortal.

Example:

The fighter falls into lava going to 0 hp. They fail their save, and become stunned. On their turn, they are no longer stunned at the end of their turn. After their turn, the lava damages them again....and they become stunned (or maybe even stable depending on how the save goes, but lets just assumed stunned for now).

And this repeats ad naseum. As long as its only 1 source of damage, the fighter does not die.

Well, setting aside the fact that if they fell in lava I’d just say they die, they’re going to fall to 0 when they enter the lava. Then at the start of their turn they have to make a save for starting their turn with 0 HP, and take damage from starting their turn in lava, so they’d have to make another save for taking damage while at 0 HP. If they fail either of those, they’re going to be stunned and unable to move, so that’s another turn they’re going to start in lava, and therefore another save they have to make. And if they fail that they’re also unconscious.

Yeah, succeeding one will get them “stable,” but they’re still in lava, so they’re still taking damage and having to make saves, and every failure makes it less likely that they succeed enough saves in a row to get back out of the lava before they die.

 

[ezo]

Well, @Stalker0 has a point, but the fighter won't be "immortal" since you can't succeed on every DST unless you somehow have a +9 to the save. There's a ton for 2024 I have no idea about, but I can't see this is possible.

Another factor is how you handle such hazards. Do they deal damage at the start of the fighter's turn? On initiative 20? or on a rolled initiative?

So, every round the fighter is taking damage and making a DST. The problem is the cycle of failed (so Stunned), making the next save so Stable, Stunned, Stable, etc. or just Stable, Stable, Stable, etc. without some way to get out of the lava.

But, yep, unless you have a +9 somehow, eventually you will fail, fail, die.

 

[Stalker0]

Well, setting aside the fact that if they fell in lava I’d just say they die, they’re going to fall to 0 when they enter the lava. Then at the start of their turn they have to make a save for starting their turn with 0 HP, and take damage from starting their turn in lava, so they’d have to make another save for taking damage while at 0 HP. If they fail either of those, they’re going to be stunned and unable to move, so that’s another turn they’re going to start in lava, and therefore another save they have to make. And if they fail that they’re also unconscious.

Yeah, succeeding one will get them “stable,” but they’re still in lava, so they’re still taking damage and having to make saves, and every failure makes it less likely that they succeed enough saves in a row to get back out of the lava before they die.

ok fair, so if you are taking damage you should be making two DSTs a round (one for starting the turn at 0hp, one for taking a hit). ok that addresses my concern.

 

[ezo]

ok fair, so if you are taking damage you should be making two DSTs a round (one for starting the turn at 0hp, one for taking a hit). ok that addresses my concern.

Correct. Just like RAW death saves (2014 anyway...), you make a DST when you start your turn at 0, but instead of automatically failing a DST when you take damage, in this system you get to roll.