A new toughness varient

[Maximillian]

My friends and I house-ruled that any hit die result which is 1/4 or less of the maximum for that die type is rerolled.

In other words, reroll ones on a d4 or d6, 1s and 2s on a d8 or d10, and (Only for the illustrious barbarian) reroll anything 3 or less. This cuts down on complaints.

 

[Khorod]

Well, since Toughness is supposed to represent being tougher, not harder to harm, I don't think DR has much of a place here. And one worthwhile at higher levels should be a high-level class ability. Like, the Barbarian's DR. Not to mention that a minor DR adds a lot of math for relatively little gain.

Being able to treat things as subdual is a little better, but I prefer a direct increase in HP.

 

[Humanophile]

[minor hijack]
I'm kinda fond of my variant. Exactly the same as the PHB gives it, except that it gives (3 + base Fort save) hitpoints. Just to let it scale with levels and give fighter-types a little more use out of it. (After all, they're taking hits more often, and a fixed bonus matters less to them with their higher hit dice.)
[/minor hijack]

 

[fba827]

Hmmm...

Since these seems to be the 1001 Possible House Rule varients for Toughness (I say that in jest), I'll add some possibilities...

(Think we're on varient number 7 now, but feel free to ignore my numbering if we're on some other number)

Toughness varient 7
Benefit: For the purposes of determining hit points, your Constitution score is considered to be increased by 1. No other benefits from an increased constitution are derived from this feat.

Weaker than the +1 per level (since only odd-numbered Con folks would benefit) and the wording (that it gives a static effect to Con rather than a dynamic effect to hit points) makes it circumvent the issue about how feats are (supposedly) supposed to be static gained abilities. But still more useful than the PHB version since it will scale with level.

Toughness varient 8
Benefit: For the purposes of determining hit points, your Constitution score is considered to be increased by 2. No other benefits from an increased constitution are derived from this feat.

The net effect of this would be a +1 hp per level but the wording helps by-pass the rule bending of feat definition that would be bent by explicitly saying +1hp/level.

Toughness varient 9
Benefit: You are unnaturally tough. You are considered to have a +1 natural armor bonus to represent the toughness.

Hmm - adding a bonus to AC is more powerful than adding hitpoints. But it's just one AC ... dunno. Better than dodge, but (which may be a little lacking but is a prerequ. t a whole lot of feat chains which keeps dodge as valuable if not more valuable depending on how much you value those various feat chains). It does loose some appeal at higher levels when people may get magic items, or other, that allows then a natural armor bonus thus, by those levels since the bonuses would not stack, the feat goes by the way side ( -- though, that leads to possibility 10, below)

Toughness varient 10
Benefit: You are unnaturally tough. Your body's natural armor is considered one higher than normal. Thus, if you have a +0 natural armor, you now have +1. If you have a +1 natural armor, you now have a +2, etc.

This sort of follows the idea for familiars that have their natural armor increased over levels. Overall though, I don't think I like this. It takes all the goodness of 9 and then makes it even better.. seems like too much to me, but am mentioning it none the less.

I think each of these would be equally valuable to any character class combination and each remains (more or less) just as valuable at any given level (though 9 does loose some appeal at higher levels, see above).

Mind you, I am on cold medicine right now and only _just_ thought of these. I have yet to actually think about any of them -- so consider the above just random ramblings of someone on medication ;-)

Oh, and I'm not saying any other mentioned suggestions are good or bad.. just know with the cold medicine I wouldn't be comprehending them as well as I could otherwise.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Varient 11
Benefit: You roll one die of the type you regularly roll for determining hit points. Your maximum hp is increased by the result of the die roll. This die cannot be rerolled, even under the influence of special reroll abilities (Luck Domain, etc...)
Example: A character gains a wizard level and takes the Toughness feat. He gains 1d4 hp for his wizard level, and an additional 1d4 for the feat.
Example 2: A character takes a barbarian level and takes the Toughness feat. He gains 1d12 for his barbarian level and an additional 1d12 for the feat.

 

[Nifft]

The letter and spirit of the Toughness Feat is simply: "Toughness gives you more HP." It's reasonable, it's simple, it works.

My variant is somewhat simple too: Toughness gives you extra HP, specifically your base Fort save +1. As your Fort save goes up, the number of HP you gain from the Feat goes up.

If you want to make damage reducing Feats, go for it. I seem to recall something called "Hardiness" which gave DR 1/-.

-- Nifft

 

[Vargo]

My variant, which has been around the block a few times...

First off, you die at -(10+con bonus).

Toughness gives you 3 more HP and lowers your death threshold by 3 more HP as well.

So, if you have CON 8, your death threshold is normally -9.

Take toughness, and it goes to -12, and you get +3 to you HP.