A few cinematic combat rules

[Minigiant]

Here are a few rules I thought would make the combat more interesting. Or at least have people flying left and right.

1) If you are bloodied by an attack, you are pushed one square or knocked prone (attacker's choice).

2) If you are hit by an critical hit, you are pushed squares equal to your highest ability mod or dazed until end of you next turn (attacker's choice).

3) If you use your second wind, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and speed until end of turn.

4) If you unsuccessfully make a death saving throw, you are no longer unconscious and are dazed instead.

5) If you dropped to fewer than 10 HP by an attack, you are knocked prone. You may cancel this effect and choose to be dazed until the trn of you next turn instead.

These rules go for players and monsters.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Hmmmm. Hard to say exactly what all the implications would be.

#4 I don't really understand how that would work. You are at or below zero hit points, so what exactly can you do? In fact how exactly does a foe get knocked out of the battle with this in place, short of outright reduction below minus bloodied?

#5 would seem to have significant consequences for low level PCs. Given that level 1 monsters have considerably higher hit point totals than level 1 PCs I'd think this one would make level 1 pretty harsh.

#3 would be really rather favorable to dwarves since they can minor action second wind.

#1 and #2 I'm not sure about. There could be issues with these but none spring instantly to mind except that certain tactical situations could become more precarious. Not sure if that is a horrible thing though, it could make things a bit more exciting.

 

[weem]

Here are a few rules I thought would make the combat more interesting. Or at least have people flying left and right.

1) If you are bloodied by an attack, you are pushed one square or knocked prone (attacker's choice).

2) If you are hit by an critical hit, you are pushed squares equal to your highest ability mod or dazed until end of you next turn (attacker's choice).

3) If you use your second wind, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and speed until end of turn.

4) If you unsuccessfully make a death saving throw, you are no longer unconscious and are dazed instead.

5) If you dropped to fewer than 10 HP by an attack, you are knocked prone. You may cancel this effect and choose to be dazed until the trn of you next turn instead.

These rules go for players and monsters.

I don't see you asking for feedback on these, but I'm going to give it since you posted it here.

1) If I had to allow one of these, this would be it - it's kind of a visual reminder of the fact that you were just seriously hurt.

2) Equal to YOUR highest ability mod? So... if my highest ability mod is 5 (from DEX we'll say) I get slid 5 squares? I would think it should be based on the attackers mod (STR maybe) if anything. Regardless, that could get a bit crazy - I would consider making this like #1 and have it be push 1 square, or knocked prone

3) Second Wind already adds to defenses. It is a defensive measure really, so adding a +1 attack doesn't really make sense (to me) - and the shift plays against it as well - again, this is a defensive ability and I consider it more of a "hunker down" thing than a "mobility" thing.

4) I'm wondering if you typo'd this and meant to say "If you successfully make a death saving throw" because essentially what you are saying is "If you fail at X, you get benefit of Y" which doesn't make sense to me. If this is the case, this just helps people get back into the fight and really, it's hard to die in 4e - I don't think anyone needs more help.

5) Is there a reason for this one? I'm assuming you are just trying to simulate that someone is very near death. I think the number is a little arbitrary (maybe you should use 10%) and I think it's odd that you could choose the effect applied to yourself. I would always choose "knocked prone" because I get all of my actions on my next turn.

None of these are rules I would use in my games (for various reasons). With that said, if they work for you that's awesome!

 

[Minigiant]

Feedback is appreciated. I'd like to get these rules to be interesting and working before our game falls over one of them.

Yeah, there are a few typos and missing things (because I tend to write when tired and attempt to edit and paste it later)

#1 is supposed to represent the falling and stumbling that that reminds players that you've either been hurt or you were lucky to doge that attack.

#2 is supposed to use the attacker's highest mod. It's the whole "I punch/tripped/blasted you accross the room" effect. Work well with our low level characters but maybe a nonvariable number might be better. Like 3 squares.

I didn't think up of #3. Wasn't my idea. I presonally don't like it much but I felt I couldn't just leave it out.

#4 is worded poorly. Very much so.

If you successfully make a death saving throw, you are no longer unconscious and are dazed instead. You do not gain HP unless you spend a healing surge due to rolling a 20 or higher on your death saving throw. You are still dying if you have 0 or fewer HP and must continue to make death saving throws until you are no longer dying.

It's supposed to give the feel on a dying person getting up, doing a few actions, then collapsing into death later. Makes for an awesome death.

For #5, 10 HP is a number that is easy to remember, not eaily skipped over by damage, doesn't affect higher level characters too much. We tried 5HP, but no one ever sat between 1-4 HP. They usually went straight to dying. Percentages between 10-20% were skipped over too often also.

As for the dazed part, maybe slowed is better.

 

[Garthanos]

Feedback is appreciated. I'd like to get these rules to be interesting and working before our game falls over one of them.

Yeah, there are a few typos and missing things (because I tend to write when tired and attempt to edit and paste it later)

#1 is supposed to represent the falling and stumbling that that reminds players that you've either been hurt or you were lucky to doge that attack.

My players would actively like #1 as they prefer to visualize moving in response to an attack and describe how they are minimizing things (losing hp) in a very mobile way.. I would probably make it always players choice monsters have no feelings and my players are actively involved in there characters defenses.

My halfling would end up slipping under the attack or having pieces of the scenery forcing him to move out of the way of the actual attack ...etc...
The ranger might well be very happy having ducked to one knee under the attack or rolled lithely to the side. The swordmage would probably visualize it as a last second shield and him being pushed back... the assault swordmage would have it be an exhausting last second teleport... that has him sweaty and shivering at the same time.

Hmmm what if it was always an option where you could reduce the attack damage by 2 if you allowed the adversary to choose where you moved.

A bribe ... to reinforce something they will like anyway...but if they really need there battlefield positions they can keep them.

Sort of reminds me of the voluntary wounding rules that allowed one to keep ones hit points but you gained an ongoing save ends disablement of some sort. (which could be aggravated on subsequent poor rolls and normally required a good amount of time or ritual magic to remove completely)

 

[mkill]

1) If you are bloodied by an attack, you are pushed one square or knocked prone (attacker's choice).

There are already feats, powers and items that do that. It's a nice effect, but I wouldn't convolute the basic combat rules with something like that, it's better to keep them short.

2) If you are hit by an critical hit, you are pushed squares equal to your highest ability mod or dazed until end of you next turn (attacker's choice).

You realize that it's possible to build characters with a 50% or higher chance to crit? Be careful of adding more crit effects, or at least don't be surprised when your table has 5 Avenger / Daggermasters dazing and pushing as if there was no tomorrow.

3) If you use your second wind, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and speed until end of turn.

Unless you're a dwarf or spend an action point, how do you benefit from the attack bonus?

4) If you unsuccessfully make a death saving throw, you are no longer unconscious and are dazed instead.

Wait, failing a death save is better than making it? (A successful death save has no effect)
Ok, if it means "successful" I still think it's not necessary. After all, the party has a leader to get you up and running again. And then there is the "roll a 20 and get up yourself" rule. If you like, make a feat that allows you to spend a healing surge on a roll of 16-20 on a death saving throw. But the standard rules are fine.

5) If you dropped to fewer than 10 HP by an attack, you are knocked prone. You may cancel this effect and choose to be dazed until the trn of you next turn instead.

Um, when I'm prone I can take a move action to stand up and still have a minor and standard action. Or I can just remain prone and use a ranged attack.

When I'm dazed, I only get my standard action. There are zero reasons to cancel the effect and be dazed instead.