Guardsmith
Explorer
Hi all,
I’m going to be starting a new d20 Modern game soon, and I wanted to get some feedback on an idea I had for a house rule.
The rule concerns death and dying, and it’s meant to counter balance another house rule I’m using that changes the benefit of wearing armor from an increase in Defense to Damage Reduction, instead. Anyway, what I propose is that any hit that would reduce you from positive HP to negative HP reduce you to 0 HP, and therefore makes you disabled. Any further damage received is handled normally. For example, let’s say you have 7 HP left and you get hit for 10, instead of reducing you to –3, you just go to 0. If you’re then hit again for 5 your HP becomes –5.
My logic behind this, in addition to giving the PCs more chances to survive, is to simulate the effect you see often in the movies where heroes are very weak before they keel over. Personally, I’ve never liked the fact that you can be hale and hearty one round and unconscious the next, unless it’s from a really big hit; I also thought this might give PCs a warning to back away from combat before they get themselves killed.
So … does this rule sound viable, or it there another way I may be able to accomplish what I’m trying to do?
Thanks for your input.
Dan Highlands
Quincy, Massachusetts
PS: Please keep in mind that I am using the Death from Massive Damage rule, so any single attack that does more that your Con in damage has the possibility of killing you …
PPS: Please be gentle, I bruise easily.
I’m going to be starting a new d20 Modern game soon, and I wanted to get some feedback on an idea I had for a house rule.
The rule concerns death and dying, and it’s meant to counter balance another house rule I’m using that changes the benefit of wearing armor from an increase in Defense to Damage Reduction, instead. Anyway, what I propose is that any hit that would reduce you from positive HP to negative HP reduce you to 0 HP, and therefore makes you disabled. Any further damage received is handled normally. For example, let’s say you have 7 HP left and you get hit for 10, instead of reducing you to –3, you just go to 0. If you’re then hit again for 5 your HP becomes –5.
My logic behind this, in addition to giving the PCs more chances to survive, is to simulate the effect you see often in the movies where heroes are very weak before they keel over. Personally, I’ve never liked the fact that you can be hale and hearty one round and unconscious the next, unless it’s from a really big hit; I also thought this might give PCs a warning to back away from combat before they get themselves killed.
So … does this rule sound viable, or it there another way I may be able to accomplish what I’m trying to do?
Thanks for your input.
Dan Highlands
Quincy, Massachusetts
PS: Please keep in mind that I am using the Death from Massive Damage rule, so any single attack that does more that your Con in damage has the possibility of killing you …
PPS: Please be gentle, I bruise easily.
