Proposed System:
- At 0 hit points, PC gains 1 level of "combat exhaustion" and any concentration effects end. Combat exhaustion is the same as normal exhaustion and stacks with it, but is easier to remove by:
- 1 per short rest or lesser restoration
- All by a long rest, greater restoration, or potion of vitality.
- The PC makes a Concentration saving throw to gain the "staggered" condition and stay conscious. Failure means the character gains the "unconscious" condition. Once a player gains at least 1 hit point, they lose these conditions. A player can voluntarily "fail" the save (perhaps to avoid looking like a threat on the battlefield).
- If the save is failed by 5 or more, the PC gains a "lingering injury" per the DMG p272.
- A "staggered" PC loses reactions, cannot move unless they use the Dash action, and can only take a single Action or Bonus action on their turn. Each time the PC takes damage while staggered, they must make another Concentration saving throw as above.
- Option A:any subsequent damage to a staggered or unconscious PC is taken from their Vitality points. At 0 Vitality, the PC is dead, unless the enemy opts to knock them out with an otherwise fatal melee attack, leaving the PC with 1 vitality and the unconscious condition.
- Vitality = starting HP, only changing if the CON modifier changes.
- Vitality heals at the rate of 1 per Long Rest. It can be magically healed if the character is already at full hit points, and then at the rate of 1 for every 10 points of healing. Regeneration is the exception, always heals at least 1 per tic.
- OR, thinking Option B: any subsequent hits imposes 1 combat exhaustion; a critical hit imposes 2. The enemy can opt to knock them out with an otherwise fatal melee attack (one that would give them 6 exhaustion levels), leaving the PC with 5 levels of normal exhaustion (all combat exhaustion is now converted to normal exhaustion).
Hey
@toucanbuzz I've got some more time so I'll review it in detail.
1. Looks great.
An option you might want to consider is what we just started: your "combat exhaustion" starts at level 6 (unconscious, not dead). If you are healed, your level immediately becomes 6 - your CON modifier. At the end of each successive turn, your level decreases until it is gone.
Ex. CON 14 (typical IME) would be unconscious, after being healed to 1 hp (or more), you would be at 4 (6-2) levels of "combat exhaustion". In other words: you have half max HP, disadvantage on attacks/saves, half speed, and disadvantage on ability checks.
At the end of your next turn, your max HP would be normal.
At the end of the next turn, you no longer have disadvantage on attacks/saves.
And so on, until all effects are gone (4 rounds later, in this case).
This means any "combat exhaustion" will be gone shortly after the battle is over. You won't have to worry about recovering it later, or house-ruling spells to remove it, etc. If you have normal exhaustion, that is still in effect even after your combat exhaustion reaches that level or better.
2. What DC are you using for the CON save? We make it the same as a Concentration Check (DC 10 or half damage, whichever is higher).
3. Starting HP for Vitality is good. We've used that, and also just your CON score, which is our current default. Another option is to tie in levels of exhaustion with it. So, your Vitality (we use the term "Wound Points" from SW d20) would equal 5 + your CON modifier.
In your system, I think this would translate into additional damage granting levels of exhaustion, which can get pretty brutal LOL!
Magical healing restores 1 Vitality (Wound Point) per spell level. So, a
Heal would restore 6 points, and a level 1 Cure Wounds would be 1 point, etc.
While "Wounded" (i.e. no HP) or "Staggered" (your term) I like the only action or bonus action--using Dash as a move simplifies things, too.
There are
lots of ways to do all this so if it works as you have it and your table likes it, I'm glad for any help I was able to offer. I am currently compiling an extended house-rules document with whatever current version we settle on. I'll probably post a thread on it in the next week or so. Anyway, good work and I hope it works out for you!