D&D General D&D without Death. Is it possible? (+)

[éxypnos]

Indeed. My point is that Wizards, who are already squishy, are by default made even squishier as none can ever have a DT that high (unless you somehow have Wizards able to start with 13 h.p., which would be well into houserule territory).

To get around this, my suggestion is simply that one's DT potential should be based on something - size, species, whatever - other than one's class in order to make it more equal across the classes; and, as a side effect, to also provide an avenue to translate this mechanic across to non-classed individuals in the setting.

I would base it on Con/2 + Con bonus

 

[Lanefan]

I would base it on Con/2 + Con bonus

Sure; maybe with a flat upward modifier or a species-based minimum such that nobody has a DT worse than, say, -8. Otherwise a Con-8 character would have a DT of (4 - 1) 3; which I think might defeat the purpose of what DnD_Reborn is after here as it would be unlikely that a blow would happen to leave such a character in the narrow range of 0, -1 or -2 very often.

 

[heks]

So, like always, I am curious: does anyone play D&D so that even the creatures your PCs encounter aren't actually killed, or at the very least only rarely when it is important to the story?

two of the best 'd&d' games i ever played were almost entirely without combat (one of them having a single duel to first blood and the other a boxing match between one of the players and a small time criminal.)

 

[éxypnos]

Sure; maybe with a flat upward modifier or a species-based minimum such that nobody has a DT worse than, say, -8. Otherwise a Con-8 character would have a DT of (4 - 1) 3; which I think might defeat the purpose of what DnD_Reborn is after here as it would be unlikely that a blow would happen to leave such a character in the narrow range of 0, -1 or -2 very often.

Unless I'm running little kids through a game I don't see why it shouldn't be Con based. I mean should we stop using other attributes like Int to base stuff becuase a PC may have low Int? You make choices when you create a PC. If one wants high DT choose a high Con. Like I said unless you are running children.

 

[DND_Reborn]

UPDATE:

I am pleased to report success with our session yesterday. It was only our 3rd session with this new campaign, and the PCs had 3 battles (8 kobolds, 3 kobolds, and 4 kobold guards + chief + 3 consorts).

In the first fight, after only 2 kobolds were actually "killed", the rest defeated and surrendered. In the second fight, just 1 kobold was killed (by a critical hit), and only 1 was killed in the last battle...the rest either knocked unconscious or surrendered, etc.

So, only 4 out of 19 foes were actually killed. Now, a lot of this is narrative just by making going to 0 hp "defeat" (surrender, flee, etc.) or unconscious. Only those who went to 0 on critical hits actually died in the combat. It just seemed more "real" and less generic than "dead, dead, dead, etc."

The best was when 17 kobolds were rushing the party after they defeated the chieftain, the half-orc fighter held the body aloft while the gnome cleric spoke in Draconic for them to surrender/flee. They failed morale and ran.

After further discussion, our house-rules will be revised a bit more, but so far I really like the narrative difference, and the difference it makes to the story when the party returned with over a dozen prisoners instead of a dozen corpses.

 

[éxypnos]

UPDATE:
In the first fight, after only 2 kobolds were actually "killed", the rest defeated and surrendered. In the second fight, just 1 kobold was killed (by a critical hit), and only 1 was killed in the last battle...the rest either knocked unconscious or surrendered, etc.

So, only 4 out of 19 foes were actually killed.

That's good to see. Most intelligent beings will choose life over death. Sometimes DMs forget this.

 

[Lanefan]

Unless I'm running little kids through a game I don't see why it shouldn't be Con based. I mean should we stop using other attributes like Int to base stuff becuase a PC may have low Int? You make choices when you create a PC. If one wants high DT choose a high Con. Like I said unless you are running children.

I'm not suggesting Con shouldn't be a factor. Quite the opposite, in fact.

What I am suggesting is that the idea of [half-Con + Con mod] will end up with a too-low value for low-Constitution characters (and commoners; I assume this mechanic becomes universal if implemented) and so there needs to either be a flat boost of some sort e.g. [half-Con + Con mod + x] or a floor e.g. [(half-Con + Con mod) or (z), whichever is greater in absolute value].

The floor idea takes away some emphasis from having a high Con score, which IMO is a good thing. Con is already important enough.

To take Con out of this equation entirely one could just make the DP a flat value no matter what, and if that flat value is -10 you're right back to what 2e had. For what's being sought here, however, I think -10 isn't enough; -15 or even -20 would be better, in order to widen the gap between fully functional (i.e. at 1 h.p. or more) and dead.

 

[Thunderfoot]

To quote Jeff Goldblume in Jurassic Park.

While we are asking ourselves can we do this, maybe we should be asking should we do it.

I vote no, on zero death. But hey man, do I believe it can be done, sure.

 

[Laurefindel]

(more for my own sake that anything) Here's what 1/2 Con plus Con mod. is:

Ability Score --> Death Threshold
Con 8 --> DT 3 (not sure who dumps Con but for the sake of the exercise...)
Con 9 --> DT 4 (assuming rounding up)
Con 10 --> DT 5
Con 11 --> DT 6
Con 12 --> DT 7
Con 13 --> DT 8
Con 14 --> DT 9
Con 15 --> DT 10
Con 16 --> DT 11
Con 17 --> DT 12
Con 18 --> DT 13

It has the merit of being linear, but the numbers are pretty low all round IMO

 

[Voadam]

Con 8 --> DT 3 (not sure who dumps Con but for the sake of the exercise...)

The kobold bard in my Mad Max/Thundarr the Barbarian themed Iron Gods 5e conversion game.